It Started With a Thoopid Dare
by Maram Marks
Summary: Highschool AU in which the trolls are humans (because I'm p sure Alternia doesn't have high school) and the beta/alpha kids are mixed. Karezi, Arasol, Rose/Kanaya, among others. Slightly fluffy. T cuz I swear like a trucker and things are gonna get controversial. Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie I own nothing
1. Chapter 1

_A/N whoop first fic for this account. Please leave feedback!_

* * *

"What does it look like?" Dave asked randomly. The two of them had been standing in complete silence for the past ten minutes. He decided it was about time they changed that.

"What does _what_ look like, my dear insensitive asshole?" Terezi replied, leaning on her walking stick. In familiar places like the school hallway she used it more like a fashion accessory than an actual means of getting around by herself.

"Being blind," Dave elaborated. "I mean like . . . You weren't always, right? Until you got in that accident, so you know what colors and shit look like. I figure you of all people would be able to adequately describe the sensation of being blind. Is everything white? Is everything black? Purple? C'mon help me out here."

"Why do you need to know?" Terezi wasn't even slightly offended. Maybe if it had been someone else she would have pretended to be, but this was Dave. He was just sort of like that.

He leaned back against his locker and shrugged, knowing very well she wouldn't be able to see him. "I'd just like to know what you go through on a day-to-day basis. Is that such a crime?"

Terezi sighed. "It's . . . dark. Empty, I guess. I don't know. Shut your eyes and pretend!"

Dave opened his mouth to make a smart remark, but before he got the chance, he was distracted by something _way_ more interesting than his conversation with Terezi. "Holy shit."

"What?" she asked. "What's going on?"

Before Dave answered, Terezi felt her sholders being grabbed and pushed back into the locker, as a pair of lips slammed into hers. They pulled away just as quickly, an unknown voice shouted "SORRY!" and whoever it was ran away, leaving Terezi pressed up against the wall, sightless and confused.

"What . . . the fuck . . . just happened?" she asked.

"Some dude just made out with you," Dave told her. "And apologized. Know who it was?"

Terezi shook her head. "Do _you?_"

"No way in hell. Now come on, I've gotta bring my sister home again and she'll kill me if I'm late."

* * *

Karkat was _not_ having a good day. But, in fairness, it was entirely his fault for agreeing to that stupid dare.

He and his friend were sitting around one of the tables in the library, trying to sneak food under the table and get through their free period without getting in trouble. They usually failed at that.

"Truth or dare?" Sollux asked.

Karkat sighed. The two of them had been friends since they were little kids, but God did he get annoying sometimes.

"Shut up," he answered. Karkat hated stupid games like that, and he was in a particularly bad mood after totally bombing his trig midterm.

"Just answer the stupid question," Sollux pressed. He had a pretty bad lisp, so _stupid_ sounded more like _thoopid_. "I want to do something _fun_ before going on Spring break."

"Truth or dare is fun?" Eridan asked sarcastically. Eridan they had only met in middle school, and quite frankly, Karkat was pretty sure no one in their group _actually _liked him. It was just that no one had the balls to say so.

"Wasn't asking you!" Sollux snapped. God, those two could never be in a room together for more than five minutes without getting into some type of argument. Usually they dragged the rest of their friends down with them.

"Dare," Karkat said, before either of them could continue. He didn't feel like watching them beat the shit out of each other again. "Just make it quick."

"Oh hell no," Sollux vowed. "I am going to make this the most intricate and meticulous dare that was ever dared. Just you wait, it's gonna be awesome."

"Oh I want in," Gamzee chimed. Gamzee had been another life-long friend for Karkat, but once they hit highschool he fell off the wagon _hard._ The dude hadn't gone a day without smoking/snorting/huffing/whateverthefuck something in years. "We are gonna blow this motherfucker."

_What "motherfucker"?_ Karkat thought. _Don't tell me he's already high first period ended literally two minutes ago._

"So when do I get to find out what this dare _is?" _Karkat asked out loud.

"After third period," Sollux told him. "It will take me all of free block to come up with it, and it's best that you do it after our last exam so you don't get . . . You know, _caught._"

"This already sounds illegal," Vriska's voice said from behind them. "I like it!"

"Go away, Serket!" Eridan snapped, not bothering to turn around. "No one wants your stupid input."

Vriska was one of those people who, despite being incredibly pissy, annoying, mean, and an asshole, was somehow everybody's friend. Most people tolerated her a lot of the time, but others (like Eridan) couldn't be bothered. Karkat respected him for that.

Vriska held a hand to her heart like she was hurt. "Gasp! I'm offended! All I wanted was to come by and see how my favorite group of losers was doing!"

"Shouldn't you be dunking Tavros's head in the toilet right about now?" Karkat asked. "I mean, it _is_ free period. This has sort of become a daily thing."

Tavros Nitram was some poor kid in a wheel chair Vriska had been targeting since first grade. You'd think after he was paralyzed from the waist down three years before she'd have laid off, but it seemed even a disability didn't excuse you from her verbal (and occasionally physical) abuse.

Vriska rolled her eyes. "Listen, nerds. If some serious vandalism shit is going down, I feel obligated to supervise and make sure you don't mess it up."

"If we needed a babysitter we'd ask Kanaya to help," Sollux teased.

"Leave my sister out of this," Karkat begged. She and Vriska had been close friends back in middle school, but after some sort of weird argument they had randomly stopped talking. Neither one of them would ever tell anyone what happened, but Karkat knew it had something to do with that Tavros kid and fairy cosplay (he didn't really want more details than that).

"Oh yeah," Vriska laughed. "How is dear, sweet, Kanaya? And her girlfriend?"

Karkat shrugged. "Don't know, don't care. Leave me alone."

Vriska stomped her foot on the red carpeting. "You guys are so _boring! _Even that lame Aradia-chick is more interesting than you!"

Karkat grabbed Sollux's arm under the table and held him down in his seat. Aradia happened to be Sollux's girlfriend, and Vriska knew damn well. She was just trying to get to him.

"Later," Vriska said, spinning on her heels and marching out.

"Well thank _God,_" Eridan muttered when she was gone.

Sollux nodded. "For once, I have to agree with you."

* * *

"Oh _hell_ no!" Karkat shouted, shoving the paper back at Sollux. "Hell _fucking_ no!"

"C'mon, Kar!" Eridan soothed. "It's the best prank I've ever heard in my life! See, I'm even complimenting Captor, _that's _how good it is!"

"Read it!" Gamzee instructed. "Out loud. Y'all motherfuckers know I can't read right when I'm high."

"'Karkat Vantas will, with the company of Sollux Captor, Gamsee Makara, and Eridan Ampora,'" Sollux read, "'Sneak into the teacher's room after the final bell, hang a pair of underwear stolen from Coach Calliborn's office-locker on the flag stand. In addition, he will get a girl to kiss him for the first time ever because he's 17 years old and it's just getting sad.'"

"You can't add an 'addition' to a dare!" Karkat protested. "That makes it _two_ dares!"

"Show me the fucking rule book, asswipe," Sollux challenged.

Gamzee shot Karkat his big goofy grin. "Dude, you gotta!"

"No fucking way."

"If you don't do it, you lose," Eridan reminded him. "And you know the rules for people who lose."

Karkat felt a chill run down his spine. A little over a year ago, the four of them had developed a rule system for any and every game they played. Whoever lost a game _or_ refused to play, had to go into the girls bathroom and buy a tampon from one of the dispensers on the wall. Sollux had already done it three times, Eridan twice, and Gamzee . . . Well, they had lost count how many tampons Gamzee had bought. Sometimes Karkat suspected he lost on purpose because he _liked_ it.

Karkat, however, had yet to lose once, and he didn't plan on starting now.

"Fine!" he exclaimed. "I'll do your stupid prank. Let's start with the underwear."

Sollux's eyes twinkled behind the stupid 3D glasses he never took off (Karkat had no clue how the kid saw anything). "Perfect."

* * *

Dave pulled up to the front doors of their highschool and honked once. Of course, there was no need, since Rose was already standing outside, arms crossed, looking pissed.

"You're late," she stated.

Dave lifted up his sunglasses and looked down at his watch. "Shit! Really?"

"I don't need this!" Rose snapped at him as she got into the car. "I could get a ride home with Roxy or Kanaya or hell even _Dirk._ But _no,_ I wait for you for half an hour every day because you _asked _me to!"

Alright, she had a point.

_Technically,_ Dave and Rose were siblings, however they hadn't grown up together. They shared both parents, but Rose and their older sister Roxy had been raised by their mother after the divorce, while Dirk and Dave had stayed with their dad. Dave always thought splitting the kids between the parents was a pretty asshole thing to do, but he was only four at the time so it wasn't like he had gotten much a say.

Since then, he had been adamant about staying close to Rose, since she _was_ his younger sister, after all. They were less than a year apart in age, and in the same grade at school, but he always felt like they weren't _really_ brother and sister. Once he started driving, he promised to change that. Even if only by giving her a ride home from school every day. Baby steps.

"So, how's the whore?" Dave asked once Rose was buckled in the seat next to him. He was, of course, referring to their mother.

"Whore-ish as ever," Rose told him. "And the bastard?"

"Haven't seen him in a week," Dave replied honestly. "He might be dead."

"Hmm, we'll have to go out for dinner to celebrate . . . Roxy will be elated."

The Strider-Lalonde children had always had a . . . _different_ relationship with their parents. From a young age the four of them had been able to grasp the idea that their mother and father were not very nice people. No one would debate the use of the term _dysfunctional. _Before they even started school Dirk and Dave had all mastered the art of hiding bruises under long sleeves and black eyes behind sunglasses. Roxy and Rose had learned to slip a drunk's keys while practically still in diapers.

At least Mom had had the courtesy to give up life as a prostitute when she got pregnant with Dirk (the eldest), and Dad had stopped selling weed for the early years of their childhoods. Every cloud has a silver lining, right?

"Where's Terezi?" Rose asked. "Don't you usually give her a ride home too?"

"She wanted to walk."

"You _let_ her?!"

Dave shrugged. "She knows the way. Besides, she seemed a little out of it. She got sort of . . . uh, assaulted, in the art wing before I drove down to get you. I thought she could use some space."

"What?!"

"Some random dude just made out with her and ran off," Dave explained.

"And you didn't _kill_ him?"

"He apologized."

Rose stared at him like he had three heads. "And that makes it _okay?!"_

"She didn't really seem to mind," Dave confessed. "She just looked a little confused. So I let her take a walk, big deal. I'm not her dad you know. And speaking of parental relationships, how's Kanaya?"

Kanaya was Rose's girlfriend, though her brothers had constantly held the argument that she was more like Rose's mother. No one had a stick higher up their ass than that girl.

"She's fine," Rose said. "Aced all her exams."

"Typical . . ." Dave pulled the car to a halt outside the obnoxiously white-and-purple house they hated so much. Rose thanked him and got out."You and Rox still up for bowling this weekend?"

"When aren't we?" Rose called over her shoulder as she walked up the front steps.

Dave waited until he was sure she had made it inside safely before driving away.

* * *

"SHIT!" Sollux yelled as he almost ran into an open locker door.

"We're dead," Eridan decided, panting heavily. The guy had probably never run so hard in his life.

"Get back here!" Coach Calliborn shouted. He was chasing after them through the halls of the nearly empty school.

The prank had gone almost perfectly. They had gone to his office and broken into his locker with little difficulty, and retrieved a pair of his underpants with a pair of tongs with ease. They made it into the teacher's room and figured they were home free . . . Until the Coach himself walked in, that is.

Not bothering to strive for perfection, Karkat threw the underwear on top of the flag and ran through Calliborn with the others, trying to escape. Now they were paying the price.

"Know what the best part of this is?" Sollux asked as they dodged yet another group of kids still lingering after their final midterm before break.

"NONE OF IT!?" Karkat shouted.

"You still lose!" Sollux told him. "You didn't do the final part of the prank!"

"YOU ADDED THAT IN ON PURPOSE YOU ASSHOLE," Karkat yelled. "YOU KNEW I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO!"

Sollux grinned evilly and said nothing. God damn that smug motherfucker. Karkat was _not_ about to lose this dare. Even if it meant assaulting some poor innocent girl just standing in the hallway, minding her own business . . .

He made his advance on the first female he saw. She was average height, with dark shoulder length hair and ridiculous red-tinted glasses on. She was standing next to some blond kid who was also wearing sunglasses inside, but at least his were normal colored.

Grimacing, Karkat pressed the girl against the wall and slammer his lips into hers. "Sorry!" he shouted before running off with Eridan, Gamzee, and Sollux. She stayed perfectly still, obviously stunned.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Eridan exclaimed.

"Good for you, Man!" Gamzee praised.

"I'm just happy I don't have to buy a goddamn tampon," Karkat muttered as he shoved through the fire-exit doors. He could see his sister's car on the other side of the parking lot.

When they reached her, she was already sitting in the driver's seat, engine started. The four of them hoped in and she sped off.

"How did you know we were coming?" Karkat asked, amazed.

"Heard Vriska telling someone something about you guys pulling a stupid prank after school," Kanaya explained in monotone. "I figured you'd need a ride."

"You're the best."

"Yeah, I know."

* * *

_A/N okay so I'll most likely continue this but nothing is certain. It may just remain a really loose-ended oneshot_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you for all the lovely reviews! Y'all rock :) I've decided to continue, and I'm gonna try my hardest to get all the characters we know a love a little in-time :) **

* * *

"So," Kanaya began. "What was it this time?"

"What was what?"

They had already dropped Eridan and Gamzee off at their houses, and it was just Karkat and Sollux in the car with his sister now.

"Whatever stupid prank you guys pulled," Kanaya said. "I want to know what it was."

Karkat stared out the window, thinking. Should he really tell her?

"Stealing Coach Calliborn's underwear and hanging them up in the teacher's room," Sollux answered for him. "And Karkat had to kiss a girl or he lost the dare."

Kanaya shot her brother a sideways grin. "So, who was the lucky lady?"

"Uh . . . I don't know actually," Karkat admitted, feeling heat rising in his cheeks. "I just sort of grabbed the first one I saw."

Kanaya slammed on the breaks, causing the man driving behind her to honk his horn and swear as he drove past. "Karkat! You assaulted someone?! And you don't even know who it was?!"

He shrunk down in his seat. "I guess . . . I didn't want to have to buy a tampon, okay? Plus, I apologized."

"Maybe you know her, Kan," Sollux suggested. "Dark hair, big red glasses—"

"YOU KISSED TEREZI PYROPE?!" Kanaya screamed.

"Uh—I don't know! Maybe?" Karkat felt like melting into a puddle on the floor of the car. His sister had her 'Mom-face' on, and in his opinion nothing in the world was more terrifying.

"That's Rose's brother's friend!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you did that . . ."

"Oh no, not Rose's brother's friend," Karkat said with heavy sarcasm. "Why should that matter?"

"Well for one, it could get me in trouble with my girlfriend," Kanaya pointed out. "For two, she's _blind_ asshole."

"Aw, shit really?" he asked, feeling a new wave of guilt wash over him. Great, now not only was he a jerk for sexually assaulting a teenage girl, but he was a double jerk for sexually assaulting a _blind_ teenage girl.

Sollux cackled in the back seat. "Dude, you suck."

"Get the fuck out of my car," Karkat demanded. "This is your fucking fault you can walk home."

Sollux raised his hands in surrender and let himself out. Kanaya rolled down her window. "Sol, you don't have to—"

"Nah it's cool," he waved her off. "We're only a block from Aradia's house. Figured I'd drop by and surprise her."

"'Cause that went _so well _the last time . . ." Karkat mumbled.

Sollux pretended not to hear him. Whatever Karkat said when he was angry, he usually didn't mean. Besides, arguing was pointless. "See you guys later."

Kanaya waved as she pulled away. Sighing heavily, Sollux turned down the road that lead to his girlfriend's house, thinking about what Karkat had said.

The 'last time' Sollux had paid Aradia a surprise visit was exactly six months and two weeks ago. Sollux knew that because he had been keeping count. _"Give her time" _the doctors had said "_she'll come around". _

But how _much_ time? How long would it take her to bounce back to the bubbly, adorable, kind and funny Aradia she had once been?

_Sollux knocked on the big red door of Aradia's house, grinning like an idiot. He was going to do it; he was going to 'officially' ask her out, even though they had practically been dating for weeks. After waiting a few minutes, still with no answer, he began to worry. He knew she was home—both cars were in the driveway, and she had told him the day before that she didn't have any plans. _

_After another five texts and two missed calls, Sollux took it upon himself to open the door and go in._

_What he found had been . . . horrible._

_"Aradia?!" he shouted, running to her side and kneeling down beside her. She had a bullet wound in her side, and blood was pouring out, everywhere. _

_"S-sol . . .?" she tried, but whatever she was going to say got lost in a series of coughs and gasps for air. "P-parents?_

_Sollux swallowed the lump in his throat and pulled her onto his lap. He put pressure on the wound with one hand while dialing 9-1-1 with the other. _

Mr. and Mrs. Megido were dead before the ambulance arrived, but Sollux had known that as soon as he walked in. Aradia was the only member of her family to survive the vicious attacks of the murderer who chose _their_ house to break into. Out of every other place in the goddamn town, he had to pick _her_ and her family.

Sollux had never been more bloodthirsty in his life. But he didn't go after the man or woman for revenge . . . He was too busy taking care of Aradia.

At first, she didn't cry. She seemed almost . . . fine. Sollux was worried. But then . . . she cried a lot. She sobbed and sobbed for days on end, begging Sollux not to leave her side and insisting something terrible would happen if he did. And then, she stopped talking completely. She became like a ghost.

"Aradia?" Sollux called into the big empty house. She had refused to move after the incident, so her Aunt Linda had agreed to move in (though she was rarely home. More often than not, she would leave for work before at 8am and not return home until the next morning).

The doctors said that the familiar surroundings might actually be good for her. Sollux was pretty sure it only made her worse.

"Sollux?" she called back. "Is that you?"

"The one and only," he promised.

She came out from behind the bathroom door, blood dripping down her arms. "I did it again."

"Fuck!" Sollux exclaimed. He rushed over to her, pulled the towel off the hanger and wrapped her arms tight. He lowered her onto the toilet seat, keeping pressure on the cuts. "Aradia we talked about this . . . If your Aunt were to come home and find-"

"I'm sorry," she apologized tearfully. "I didn't mean to . . . I was just trying to . . ."

"Feel something," he finished for her. "I know, I know. But sweetie . . . Not like this, please. Something awful could happen and if I lost you I don't know what I'd do . . ."

He stopped talking when he started to choke up. He _wasn't_ going to cry.

"You don't have to be strong for me," Aradia told him, a small smile curling at her lips. It reminded Sollux of the good old days before her parents had been murdered. It faded quickly, however, as most sparks of hope usually do.

Sollux got down on his knees and held her arms in his hands. "Of course I do. You need me, okay? Because when I'm not around you do shit like _this!"_

"I said I was sorry," she said stubbornly.

"You're scaring me," he admitted. "Sometimes I feel like . . . I feel like you _did_ die that day."

Aradia's eyes fell. "Sometimes I feel like that too."

Sollux wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her down off the toilet seat. He didn't care that her blood was probably getting all over his shirt, or that the bathroom floor was really cold and uncomfortable. He just wanted to hold her, like maybe that would keep her safe.

"I want your blades," he mumbled into her hair. "_All_ of them this time."

She nodded. "That's probably a good idea."

"I love you."

"I know you do. Thank you."

She never said _I love you_ back.

* * *

Terezi plopped down on her bed and wrapped her fluffy sheets around herself. According to Dave, they were red. She couldn't see it for herself, but she trusted him enough to believe it. She loved red . . . Even though she hadn't seen it in years.

She tried really hard not to think about what had happened that day, but of course failed miserably. Some random boy had _kissed _her. For no apparent reason. He didn't even stick around to see if she liked it. Honestly, what the fuck?

Her phone started to buzz in her pocket, and the little voice-thing for blind people told her "Bigger Strider" was calling.

"Hmm, to what do I owe this rare pleasure?" she answered.

"Is Dave with you?" Dirk asked. He sounded worried. "He never came home."

Terezi sat up. "No . . . Did you call Rose?"

"She said he dropped her off more than an hour ago. Do you have any idea where he is?"

"No," she told him. "Why? Isn't he usually just sort of . . . doing his own thing?"

"Not today," Dirk mumbled. "God, not today . . ."

"What's today?"

"It's his birthday," Dirk told her, like it should have been obvious. Which, in truth, it should have been; Dave and Terezi had only been friends forever. But, when you're blind and can't see the calendar, you tend to forget about dates.

"Aw shit! I completely forgot!" She slammed her fist down on the bed. _Idiot!_ "Why didn't he say anything?! God I'm an awful friend—"

"He was probably happy you forgot, to be honest," Dirk admitted. "Dave hates his birthday because of . . . what happened."

Terezi didn't need to ask what he was talking about. When they were in the 7th grade, before she had gone blind, Dave's father had beaten Dirk half to death and left, leaving poor newly-13-year-old Dave to figure out what the hell you do with a half-dead brother. From what she remembered, Roxy had driven the two of them to the hospital (illegally) and Dirk had been in the ICU for a couple days; all on the poor kid's birthday.

When asked what happened, Dirk always lied and said he got mugged.

For them, that wasn't really a huge surprise. Their dad was always pulling shit like that, but never _that_ bad. And, as hard as he tried to hide it, Terezi _knew_ Dave had been scared shitless to come home and find his brother bruised and bleeding on the floor.

"Where do you think he went?" Terezi asked, though part of her already suspected the answer.

"Well, if I know Roxy, she'd have taken him out to _forget_ about it, if you know what I mean."

"Liquor store?"

"Liquor store. I'm gonna have to drive into town and find the two of them before they start causing trouble."

"Want me to help you look?" she offered.

"Thanks, TZ, but I don't know what good a blind girl would do, no offence. I think I'll just call Egbert."

"Alright, keep me posted."

"Will do," he promised, then hung up.

"Dammit, Dave," Terezi muttered to herself as she lay back down. God that kid was so screwed up. But he always insisted on playing it cool, like nothing ever bothered him or pierced through his impenetrable shield of Strider-Awesomeness. But his friends and family knew better; a lot pierced through, and most of it stuck.

Not bothering to get up, she lifted her laptop out from under her bed and placed it on her lap. She used the voice-controls to launch pesterchum and opened Dave's contact.

"Strider!" she barked into the mic. "Where the hell are you?"

There was no answer, but it wasn't like she had been expecting one. Worth a shot, anyway.

Before she stuffed the laptop back under her bed, however, someone else began pestering her.

"Terezi," the computer read in the default voice set for Kanaya.

_-__grimAuxiliatrix __began pestering __gallowsCallibrator__-_

**GC: SUP K4N4Y4?**

**GA: Terezi Why Do You Insist On Having Your Voice-Controls Type Words Like That**

**GA: It's Very Annoying**

**GC: WHY DO YOU 1NS1ST ON TYP1NG TH3 W4Y YOU DO HMM?**

**GC: M4YB3 1 L1K3 B31NG 4N 1ND1V1DU4L**

**GA: Fair Enough**

**GA: Moving On**

**GA: I Heard What Happened In The Hall After School Today And I Just Thought I'd Say Sorry On The Behalf Of My Idiot Brother**

**GC: YOU H4V3 4 BROTH3R? 4ND WH4T D1D H3 DO?**

**GA: My Understanding Is That He Kissed You Without Consent Earlier**

**GA: He Seems To Feel Guilty **

**GA: But Then Again Who Can Tell With Him**

**GA: He's Agreed To Write You A Formal Apology**

**GC: N4H 1T'S COOL**

**GA: Really?**

**GC: Y34H WH4T3V3R 1 GU3SS**

**GC: 1F H3 F33LS B4D 4LR34DY 1 DON'T S33 4 PO1NT**

**GC: W4S TH4T 4LL? 1 W4S GONN4 T4K3 4 SHOW3R**

**GA: I Suppose That Is All Yes**

**GA: You're Sure You're Okay With It? I Can Force Him To Write A Letter Of Apology With Ease**

**GC: N4H 1TS COOL**

**GC: T4LK TO YOU L4T3R K4N4Y4**

Terezi signed out of the chat before Kanaya had the chance to respond. Her heart was racing. The boy who kissed her had been found! His secret identity reviled . . . And before Terezi had even gotten a chance to do some hardcore sleuthing!

But . . . Kanaya's brother, hmm? She wondered how old he was and why she had never seen him (well, _heard_ him) before. Kanaya was always hanging around with Rose, and Terezi went bowling with the Strider-Lalonde family and company every weekend! Never once had Kanaya even _mentioned_ a brother.

Maybe she didn't talk about him for a reason . . . What if he was a thug or something? What if he sold drugs or had kids? Oh god what if he had some sort of disease . . .

Or maybe . . . she just hadn't mentioned him because it never came up. Kanaya was the kind of person who spent a majority of her time helping _other_ people with their lives and problems—come to think of it, she never really talked about hers at all.

Man, now Terezi felt insensitive. She made a mental note to let Kanaya vent to her about some kind of issue next time she got the chance.

* * *

Dirk plowed through the crowds of people, looking pissed. John tried to keep up beside him, but he was a lot smaller and kept getting trampled. "Dirk—wait up!"

"We gotta find them," Dirk said. "Before they do something stupid."

"Don't you think we should have brought Rose?" John asked. "Or Jake even? With just the two of us, it could take hours to—"

"There," Dirk interrupted, pointing. He began to jog over to the matching blond-heads that were facing the water on the other side of the pier.

"You don't think they're going to . . ." John trailed off. The rest of his question was pointless, considering they had _in fact_ jumped into the ice cold water.

"DUMBASSES!" Dirk yelled, pushing aside a group of teenagers walking in front of him to get to his younger siblings.

When they reached the dock, they found Dave and Roxy staring up at them, grinning like idiots.

"Hey Dirk!" Roxy greeted. "Why don't you jump in? It's kind of cold but it feel so—"

"Stop talking!" Dirk commanded. "Rox, you _promised._"

"Don't be so grumpy!" she teased, giggling like crazy.

"Dave?" John asked. "Where the hell have you been? We searched all over town _and_ the pier."

Dave shrugged. "Roxy used these fake ID-things to get us booze and everything is fuzzy after that."

"Are you seriously so hammered you can't remember how you got here?" Dirk asked incredulously.

In response, Dave began to vomit, without warning.

"Ew!" Roxy shrieked, giggling some more and splashing her brother.

"Oh fucking perfect," Dirk muttered to himself. He reached down and pulled Roxy out first, then grabbed Dave by his belt loops and threw him over his shoulder like a rag doll.

"Aren't I a little old for this?" Dave asked.

"Aren't you a little young to get wasted and jump into the ocean?"

"Touché."

When they got back to the car, John rode up front while Roxy and Dave shared the backseat, still soaking wet.

"I hate to ask, but think you could help me clean them up before I drop you off?" Dirk asked.

John smiled halfheartedly. "Sure. I don't mind."

Dirk glared at his brother through the mirror. "You've got one hell of a friend, you know that? If I weren't your brother I'd have ditched your ass a long time ago."

"You don't mean that, Bro," Dave said, his words starting to slur a little.

"Course he doesn't," Roxy reassured him. "He loves us a whole bunch. Don't you, Dirk?"

Dirk just shook his head. "Fuck my life . . ."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay just to be clear here, I didn't feel like making things super complicated with the whole Bro vs Dirk/Nana vs Jane/Roxy vs Rose's mom debacle so I just had the Alpha Kids integrate in with the Beta Kids, simply for ease of writing. I'm not going to be giving Dirk any of Bros personality quirks, nor will Roxy have Rose's mom, etc _unless_ they happen to be legitimately similar character traits. For example, both Roxy and Rose's mom enjoy drinking. I guess what I'm basically saying is that Jane isn't Nana, Dirk isn't Bro, Roxy isn't Rose's mom, and Jake isn't Jade's grandpa.

Happy reading and please review! :-]

* * *

As depressing as it was to admit, Karkat spent the entirety of Spring Break locked away in his bedroom. The only person he talked to other than Kanaya was Sollux, and occasionally Gamzee would message him with some weird new-religion-high-as-balls shit (Karkat tended to ignore those).

"I'm going bowling," his sister said.

"Interesting."

"You're coming with me."

"Not likely."

"This is not debatable."

Karkat spun around in his chair to face her. Despite being a year younger, Kanaya was constantly bossing him around and making decisions without asking first. "I don't want to."

"Dirk's boyfriend is sick," Kanaya told him. "We need another player to even out the teams."

"And you volunteered me." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yes. Now come on, we'll be late."

"I don't even know any of your friends," Karkat complained as he pulled himself to his feet. Kanaya handed him his jacket and he stuffed his feet into his shoes.

"This is a good opportunity for you then," she insisted, tossing him the car keys.

Okay, that was a sign that Kanaya seriously needed him. Karkat was _never_ allowed to drive (mainly because he was awful at it).

"You and Rose having problems?" he asked knowingly. His sister was like an open book sometimes. She froze in his doorway.

Kanaya blushed and ran a hand through her short and spikey hair. "No, it's just . . . I wanted her to, uh . . . meet you."

_Wait, what? _Karkat gaped at her. That had not been at all what he was expecting. Kanaya wanted to . . . Introduce her girlfriend?

It's not like Karkat hadn't seen Rose before. Sometimes she'd be standing by the car after school, or come by to pick Kanaya up in the mornings, but the two of them had never really _talked_. Kanaya was bringing him bowing just for that?

"You two are pretty serious, huh?"

Kanaya grinned like an infatuated idiot and nodded curtly. Karkat couldn't help himself—he was happy for her. Even though love was _definitely_ stupid and not for him. Nope.

As he climbed into the car, he asked, "So who else is on my team?"

"Well today its boys against girls, so you'd be with John Egbert, Dirk and Dave Strider, and some weird kid whose name I don't know. You'll be playing for Jake English."

Karkat sighed. He didn't even recognize those names. "What about on the Girls' Team?"

"Rose and her sister Roxy, Jane Crocker, and Jade Harley," Kanaya said the _Jade Harley_ with a small wince, like she knew exactly how Karkat was going to react.

And she did. "Are you _serious?!" _

"Come on! You two used to get along when you were younger," she reminded him.

"That's before I realized how fucking annoying she can be."

"Aw, come on! Jade is really nice and everybody likes her."

"Not everybody . . ."

* * *

"Your shirt is on backwards," Dave told her as she got into the backseat, squeezing herself between him and Rose.

"Your face is on backwards," Terezi snapped back. Roxy held out her hand and Terezi high-fived her with ease. There were some things that even blindness couldn't ruin.

"No, I'm serious, your shirt is backwards," Dave tried again.

"Strider, you've been trying that joke on me since we were 14," she said. "I didn't fall for it before and I'm not falling for it now."

"Damn straight," Dirk agreed. "If he ever gets to be too much of a handful, I give you permission to beat the crap out of him. Not that you'd really need permission, but . . ."

Dave rolled his eyes. "Please. I'm not afraid to punch a blind chick."

Terezi slapped his shoulder. "You wouldn't dare."

"So is Jake coming?" Rose asked, changing the subject. Sometimes her brothers could be such children . . .

Dirk's knuckles hardened around the stirring wheel. "Uh . . . no, not today."

"Why not?"

"He's sick," Dirk lied. "Nothing to worry about, though. Kanaya called and said she had someone to take his place."

Rose's eyes lit up at the mention of her girlfriend. "Really? Who?"

Dirk shrugged. "Hell if I know. Guess we'll find out when we get there."

* * *

"I'm going to fucking kill you," Karkat vowed.

Kanaya folded her arms over her chest. "How was I supposed to know?!"

"Don't play stupid; you did this on purpose!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She sat down on one of the folding chairs lined against the back of the bowling alley and began untying her shoes.

Karkat could practically feel the steam leaking out of his ears. "You _knew_ that Pyrope girl was going to be here! You made me come so I'd have to face her."

Kanaya grinned mischievously. "Brother Dear, I am offended! I would never dare do such a thing."

"Yeah, uh-huh, sure," his eyes narrowed. "I'm going home."

She gracefully rose to her feet and shoved the pair of bowling shoes she had rented for him at his chest. "Grow up. We need another player."

Karkat grumbled out a few more swears before snatching the shoes and marching away from his sister. He was so distracted with his own thoughts, he accidentally bumped into a girl standing in front of him.

"Oh I'm sorry—shit."

Oh of fucking _course_ he had to bump into her. Out of everyone in the goddamn bowling alley . . .

"It's cool," Terezi told him with a small grin.

"Uh, listen while I've got you here . . ." Karkat ran his hand through his hair nervously. "I, uh, I just wanted to let you know that, I, uh I'm the one who—"

"Who kissed me," Terezi finished for him. "I know. I recognize your voice."

"_Seriously?" _he asked in disbelief. He had only said one word to her . . .

Blush rose up in her cheeks. "Well, yeah. That and the way you smell."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't get creeped out!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "I just meant that, when you kissed me, I noticed that you smell sort of like candy apples."

Alright well that officially made number one on the list of weird things people had told him. Karkat swallowed the lump in his throat. "Right, well . . . Sorry for attacking you. I have a reason, but it's a really shitty reason and you probably don't care, so I'll just say that I'm sorry, and I promise I won't do it again."

"You're kinda adorable, you know that?" she asked him. "In a really awkward way. But yeah, like I said, it's cool. Though, I would like to know the name of my assaulter. You know, for the law suit."

Karkat tried to bite back a grin. Okay, at least she had a sense of humor. "Karkat Vantas."

"Well, Mr. Vantas, you should be receiving a letter in the mail from the lawyer of Terezi Pyrope within the week." She flashed her bright white teeth one last time before spinning on her heels and scurrying off.

"Oh don't even think about it," Kanaya hissed in his ear as she walked by. "So off limits . . ."

* * *

"Hey, 'Rezi?" Dave asked.

"Hm?"

"Isn't that the kid who made out with you last week?" he pointed at Karkat even though she couldn't' see.

"Probably," she told him. "He's playing for Jake today."

"Wait . . . that's Kanaya's older brother," Rose said, squinting in Karkat's direction. "He's a Junior, like us."

"Kinda cute," Roxy observed, bumping Terezi with her hip. "Gonna tap that, Pyrope?"

Terezi snickered. "Who knows?"

"Guys, we got a problem," John said, making himself known. He was already wearing his bowling shoes and the dorky shirt he put on for "good luck", meaning he had been there for a while.

"Where ya been, Egbert?" Dirk asked, slipping his normal-shoes under one of the cheap plastic chairs for safe-keeping. "We were gonna start the game without you!"

"Jade's sick," he said. "Like _really_ sick. She keeps throwing up. I was with her in the bathroom waiting for her mom."

Dave's head shot up. "Is she gonna be okay?"

John nodded. "I think so, it's just, you know . . . we're down another player."

"We could tell that Karkat kid we don't need him," Dirk suggested. "Make the teams even again."

"No need," Terezi insisted. "I can play for Jade."

Everyone stared at her blankly.

"What! You think a blind girl can't bowl?"

"Yes, Terezi, that's exactly what we think," Dave said honestly.

Terezi stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll show you, Strider."

She strutted off to the shoe-rental counter, her arms crossed over her chest in defiance.

"This is gonna be interesting," John muttered.

* * *

Getting beaten by a blind person at bowling was embarrassing enough, never mind it being the same blind person you had sexually assaulted in the hallway of your school on a stupid dare a week before.

"Come on, Vantas," Terezi taunted after once again knocking over _all_ the pins in one try. "I can't even _see_ the pins!"

Karkat's eyebrows pressed together. "You know, I don't think I believe this whole blind-thing."

She laughed. "You're right; I've been faking it this whole time."

"Well how else do you keep getting strikes!" he shouted, getting annoyed.

"Just toss the damn bowling ball."

And he did. And he missed.

"Are you _serious?!"_ Dirk exclaimed. "Dude she's _blind!"_

"So everyone keeps telling me . . ." Karkat grumbled as he made the Walk of Shame back to his seat.

The Strider Boys didn't do much better, though they were able to at least keep out of the gutters for most of the game.

As it would turn out, the "weird kid" whose name Kanaya didn't know turned out to be none other than Equius Zahhak, from Karkat's math class. He brought along his friend Nepeta, who didn't play, but cheered really loudly whenever he went up. The only issue was, every time Equius threw the ball, it hit the ground so hard it would bounce over to the other lanes. He didn't knock down a single pin in the whole game.

As for John . . . Well, it was like he didn't even try. He'd just laugh at himself each time he missed and go and sit back down.

In the end, the Girls' Team trampled the Boys' Team. Terezi proved herself to be an excellent bowler despite her handicap, though, the rest of them sucked pretty badly too.

"Don't you guys do this _every _weekend?" he asked Kanaya as they walked back out to the car.

She nodded. "Why?"

"You all suck!" he exclaimed. "The only reason _either_ team won is because Terezi played!"

Kanaya chuckled. "We don't do it because we're _good_ at it. We just like to have fun! Oh and, I was talking to the others. We've officially added you to the roster for next game. Jake will be back by then, but there's no way we're letting Terezi go. We'll need you to keep the numbers even."

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Great. Just what I want to be doing with the rest of my weekends forever."

"Maybe you'll make some friends," Kanaya said optimistically.

* * *

"Gamzee?"

"Yeah Ma?"

"I'm going out, will you be okay on your own?"

"Sure."

His mother crossed the room and kissed his forehead. "Try to stay out of trouble."

He didn't say anything. They both knew he would break out the bong the second she was outside the door. Not like she cared enough to stop him . . .

He didn't do it because he _wanted_ to (although, that shit was super addictive). He did it because he was afraid of himself. Who knows what he'd do in his not-so-right mind? God, even Karkat had never seen him sober. And they had been best buddies for as long as Gamzee could remember.

A beep went off from his laptop. Gamzee shuffled over and opened up pesterchum. _Speak of the devil . . ._

_-carcinoGeneticist began pestering terminallyCapricious-_

**CG: GAMZEE**

**TC: hEy BeSt FrIeNd.**

**CG: STILL TYPING LIKE A JACKASS I SEE**

**TC: HoW aRe yOu On ThIs FiNe DaY?**

**CG: OH GOD YOU'RE HIGH AREN'T YOU**

**TC: HeH :o)**

**CG: OKAY LET'S PRETEND YOU'RE NOT HIGH FOR A SECOND**

**CG: THOUGH, THAT'S A PRETTY FUCKING LONG SHOT**

**CG: BUT WE'RE USING OUR IMAGINATIONS**

**CG: OKAY, SO, NOT HIGH-AS-BALLS GAMZEE**

**CG: I GOTTA TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING**

**CG: SADLY YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE I CAN THINK OF TO COME TO WITH THIS**

**CG: SOLLUX WOULD JUST MAKE FUN OF ME AND AMPORA IS A DICK**

**TC: wHaT aRe BeSt FrIeNdS fOr?**

**TC: ShOoT :o)**

**CG: BUT I MET A GIRL TODAY**

**CG: AND SHE'S TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY OFF LIMITS AND I GET THAT BUT**

**CG: I DON'T KNOW I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT HER FOR SOME REASON**

**TC: So KaRkATs GoT tHe HoTs FoR sOmEoNe?**

**TC: mIrAcLeS dO hApPeN :o)**

**CG: OH MY GOD YOU'RE A FUCKING IDIOT**

**CG: I JUST MET HER TODAY CALM DOWN**

**CG: OKAY WELL TECHNICALLY I MET HER A LITTLE WHILE AGO BUT**

**CG: I HADN'T TALKED TO HER UNTIL TODAY**

**CG: SHE'S FUCKING ANNOYING**

**CG: BUT . . . I LIKE IT?**

**CG: YOU KNOW WHAT**

**CG: I WAS WRONG YOU ARE NOT THE RIGHT PERSON TO COME TO WITH THIS**

**CG: THANKS ANYWAY BRO**

**CG: I'LL TALK TO YOU LATER I GUESS**

_-carcinoGeneticist ceasedpestering terminallyCapricious-_

Gamzee shrugged his shoulders and shut the laptop. Maybe Karkat was just having a rough day.

He sat down on the floor of his bedroom, legs crossed and breathed in.

* * *

"Aradia! You're weird friend with the glasses is here, I sent him up!"

Aradia sighed. Weekends were hard; her aunt was around more.

Sollux peaked in through her bedroom door. "You decent?"

She nodded with a small grin.

He let himself in and sat down at the foot of her bed, like a puppy. "Why are you still under the covers?"

"I didn't want to get up," she admitted. "Sleeping is easier."

Hearing her say that made Sollux's heart shatter into a million pieces. "C'mon, that's not true. All our friends are out and about today. Don't you miss them? You haven't been in school in months . . ."

"The teachers have been emailing me my work," she reminded him. "It's not like I'm behind in anything."

"But what about me?" he asked. "If you came back to school we could be together more. I'd feel better if I could keep an eye on you."

"So I don't do this again?" she asked, holding out her wrist.

He took her hand and pressed his lips to the thin lines scaring her snowy skin. She hadn't stepped outside since before the accident. "Aradia, you know how much I care about you."

She ruffled his hair. "More than anyone."

"So don't you think I'd only try to do what's best for you?" he asked. "I think going back would be good for you. Maybe a little socializing is all you need to start . . . You know, feeling like yourself again."

She bit her lip. He might have a point . . .

"Alright," she agreed. "I suppose there's no harm in trying. But you have to promise not to leave my side, deal?"

He shot her his signature crooked grin that always made sent butterflies whirling in her stomach. "Thank you."

She climbed into his lap. "Stay here tonight? She won't mind . . ."

He laughed out loud. "My mom would kill me! But you know I would if I could . . . I love you."

She nuzzled his neck, but remained silent.

Eh, it was worth a shot.


	4. Chapter 4

Coming back to school after a break always felt . . . weird. Like something was missing.

"Look at all these motherfuckin' happy faces," Gamzee mused, looking around the courtyard where a majority of the student population hung around before homeroom.

"Gamz, everyone looks miserable," Karkat told him in monotone. He was too tired for this shit.

"Bro you're just not seeing their _true_ faces," Gamzee assured him. "My mom brought me to church again yesterday and I had a motherfuckin' magical experience."

That was the thing about Gamzee that everyone always found so confusing. He was high _all the time_, and swore more than anyone, yet he was incredibly religious. He went to church every Sunday, and sometimes even after school during the week.

Only, Karkat knew it wasn't _normal _church. It was some sort of weird orthodox-something-or-other where they were hard as rock and tried to brainwash their young with the word of God. They prophesized the next coming of Christ to exterminate all sinners and they alone would be spared for their faith. And it was actually pretty terrifying.

Gamzee's mom had been dragging him there ever since he was a little kid. It had gotten into his brain and warped him. Karkat was _positive_ that stupid church was to blame for all the guy's problems. And on top of that; _he still went! _Drugs and God _do not mix._

"If you fuckin' start on miracles again," Eridan mumbled. He had his eyes trained on the same girl he watched _every morning._ It always put him in a bad mood.

_"Dude, she's like your sister,"_ they would tell him. But that never changed the way he looked at her. Eridan Ampora was 100%, unarguably _infatuated _with Feferi Peixes; captain of the swim team. The two of them had grown up as childhood best friend, but once high school started, Fef decided that she needed some space and wanted new friends. Eridan had been following her around like a lovesick puppy ever since.

In fact, it was because of Feferi that Eridan and Sollux never got along. Eridan never forgave him for taking Feferi to Homecoming in Sophomore year (even though Feferi had been the one to ask).

Karkat rolled his eyes and turned away from his friends. He really wasn't in the mood for their bullshit.

"So what did you do over break, KK?" Sollux asked. "Other than sitting alone in your bedroom?"

Karkat thought, but nothing really came to mind other than that. "I guess not much . . . I mean Kanaya took me bowling with her friends but—"

"I kicked his ass," a familiar voice said. The four of them turned around.

"Terezi?" Karkat asked, feeling heat rising in his cheeks. _Was he blushing? Why the hell was he blushing? _"What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd say 'hi'," she told him. "So, are you gonna introduce me or leave me in the dark?"

She snickered at her own blind joke. Karkat was unsure whether or not he should too, so he just gave a light chuckle and shoved his friends forward. "This is Sollux—"

"Hey."

"Gamzee—"

"Sup, motherfuck—"

"And Eridan."

"Well, hello there," Eridan said, wiggling his eyebrows in Terezi's direction playfully.

"She can't see you, you fucking douche bag," Karkat informed him. "Stop being creepy."

Eridan adjusted his glasses and huffed. "Whatever, Kar. I was just makin' a joke. No need to get all defensive."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Terezi said, leaning on her cane. "Have any of you gotten your second semester schedules yet?"

Karkat shook his head. "I thought they handed those out in homeroom."

"Not if you need yours in braille," she explained. "They gave it to me early."

"What classes do you have?"

"Well, I'm keeping most of them the same, it's just the electives that have changed," she said. "I've got 4th period Sex-Ed since the class was full last year and I never took it, and 6th period art. Oh and I was moved into 3rd period Algebra II because my midterms came back at a higher level than the rest of my class or something stupid like that."

"I'm in 3rd period Algebra," Sollux told her. "I guess I'll see you there."

Terezi grinned. "Guess so."

"Well, until then," he said, slowly making his retreat.

"Where the hell are you going?" Karkat asked.

"I've gotta meet up with somebody out front," Sollux said cryptically. "I'll catch up with you later."

He ran off before any more questions could be asked.

"What a weirdo," Eridan muttered.

* * *

"Sollux!" Aradia exclaimed, running into his arms. Hereyes were puffy like she was about to cry. "I couldn't find you! You said you'd stay with me the whole time I couldn't find you I was so worried and-"

He patted down her hair. "Hey, I'm sorry, alright? I was just with Karkat out in the courtyard. He gives me a ride to school every day, remember? I'm sorry I kept you waiting."

Aradia rubbed her eyes and faked a smile. "No, I'm sorry. I'm overreacting it's just . . . It's so much. This place is so huge . . ."

Sollux took her hand and began leading her towards the front doors. "Then let's make it smaller, okay? I already cleared it with the Student Counsel President. She talked to the guidance counselors and from now on you'll be in all my classes, okay? Nothing to worry about."

"I'll get to stay with you all day?"

He nodded. "I won't leave your sight, I promise. Not even if one of us needs the bathroom."

She snickered. "Okay, I think the bathroom can be an exception."

"Why? I've been in the girls room loads of times, it's cool!"

Aradia laughed. "Let's get to homeroom."

* * *

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Karkat muttered, staring down at his new electives schedule.

_Period 4 Sex-Ed_

_Period 6 Junior Art_

The exact same as Terezi. What the fuck were the odds of that happening? He didn't even know who she was until a week ago and now he had two classes with her?

Something smelt suspiciously like Kanaya.

"Mr. Vagabond, can I be excused?" Karkat asked, shooting his hand into the air. His homeroom teacher nodded without saying anything.

Karkat pulled himself out of the desk and wrote out a pass. Mr. Vagabond signed it quickly and handed it back.

Kanaya's homeroom was three doors down from his own.

Even though she was a year younger than Karkat, Kanaya had managed to climb the ranks of the student council and was now the President. Meaning, she had exclusive privileges such as access to the class schedules and getting to pick the weekly cafeteria special.

"Can I help you?" the teacher asked when Karkat arrived in the doorway.

"I need my sister," he said simply. Kanaya, who had been watching from the other side of the room, hoped up and scurried over, a grin on her face.

"We'll just be in the hallway, ma'am," she told the teacher. The woman nodded.

"So, what's this about?" Kanaya asked.

Karkat scoffed. She knew damn well . . . Smug little asshole. "You put me in Terezi's classes on purpose."

Kanaya shrugged. "I may have sent the guidance counselors something about the two of you for second semester electives . . . I was very busy with student business over the break Karkat, as you well know."

"I already took Sex-Ed!" he pointed out.

"You failed the class," she reminded him. Okay, fair enough. Apparently to pass a class, you actually had to show up. Go figure.

"I thought you wanted me to stay away from her!" Karkat threw his hands up, exasperated.

Kanaya shrugged. "At first I thought . . . Well, I mean I don't want you to get any ideas with this, don't get me wrong! She's still off limits to you in the romantic perspective but—well, I think you two could benefit from each other's company in a completely platonic way."

"You want me to be her friend?" Karkat verified.

She nodded. "I've known Terezi for some time now. She's been friends with Rose's brother for years, but . . . I worry about her sometimes. And I worry about you two. I think you may be able to help one another."

"I don't need _help_," he snapped. Kanaya had been up his butt about his "mental health" for as long as he could remember. In his opinion it was all a load of horse shit. He was fine!

"How many hours of sleep did you get last night?" she asked knowingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Karkat shrunk back. "Uh . . . 7?"

"Liar."

"Okay like two, but . . . That's just because I had shit to do!"

"No it's because you're an insomniac—"

Karkat rolled his eyes and turned around.

"Where are you going?!" she exclaimed.

"Away," he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and beginning to trudge down the hall.

"Stand up straight . . ." she hissed. He either didn't hear her or didn't care.

Kanaya sighed heavily and leaned back against the doorframe to her homeroom. Fixing everyone could be a real pain in the butt sometimes.

* * *

"Welcome to Sex Ed. My name is Mrs. Dots and I teach this class. My job is to make all of you uncomfortable, so please, take a seat."

_Yes, but where are the chairs? _Terezi thought. She had never been in this room before. She tried to feel around with her cane, but she kept hitting the other students' feet. She thought she was at a complete lost until she smelled it.

"Karkat!" she exclaimed, spinning towards the smell of candy apples.

"Uh . . . hi, Terezi," he mumbled, making no other attempts at conversation.

She poked his ankles (or what she assumed were his ankles) with her cane. "Think you could give me a hand?"

"Argh, I'm stupid! Yeah of course, I'm sorry I wasn't—I mean I didn't, I . . ." she could almost hear his hand slapping against his forehead. He looped his arm through hers. "This way . . ."

He helped her over to a desk it what was probably the second or third row of seats and sat down next to her. Everyone else was still socializing, so Terezi figured making a little small talk wouldn't be a big deal.

"I thought you were a Junior," she said.

"I am," he replied. "I failed this class last year . . . It was too awkward; I never showed up."

Terezi shrugged. "Well, maybe this time we can suffer through together."

She hoped he smiled at that.

"Alright, settle down!" Mrs. Dots called. She had a deep voice for a woman and judging by where the sound was coming from, she was of average height. "I'll bet most of you think you know something about sex, am I right?"

Silence.

"Alright I don't need an answer, I know you do. Teenagers think they know everything it's built into your brain. Anyway, I'm here to tell you that whatever you _think_ you know about sex is either wrong or limited. I particularly like teaching _this_ subject of Health Class because it's when the most kids pass out or throw up. Call me a sadist but that's just interesting."

Terezi felt Karkat move next to her. Was he . . . crossing his legs? Aw what a dork! She smiled to herself.

"We'll start out with the basics," Mrs. Dots continued. "Who would like to tell me what body parts _men _use for sex—primarily, that is. Anybody? No? . . . Mr. Vantas! How lovely it is to see you back in my class! Let's see if you remember anything from the one class you attended last year."

"Penis . . ." Karkat mumbled softly.

"Louder," the teacher commanded.

"Penis!" Karkat shouted. "Penis! Penis! Penis!"

Mrs. Dots laughed. "Wonderful! Alright and what about women, who would like to tell me?"

Well, Terezi wasn't about to let Karkat show her up on the bravery-level like that. She raised her hand.

"Yes, the lovely lady in the red glasses."

"Vagina," Terezi answered, her voice flat. She didn't even crack a smile, though she could have sworn she heard Karkat snicker a little.

"Well, I guess we know who the brave souls are in here," Mrs. Dots praised. No one else in the class seemed to have any objections to that.

"This is gonna be a long second semester," Karkat groaned.


	5. Chapter 5

Terezi Pyrope was insane. And she was driving _him_ insane too.

And oh, had she made him blush. Karkat couldn't help it. He was _embarrassed_ during sex-ed. Especially knowing she was right next to him. And she couldn't even _see _him!

And as if one class a day hadn't been hard enough, thanks to Kanaya, they had the same art class too! Karkat was just about ready to strangle his sister.

"Okay please don't take this as me being insensitive or anything," Karkat said, as he helped lead Terezi to one of the empty benches towards the back of the room. "But how do you even _participate _in this class?"

"You mean because I'm blind?" she asked, as if it weren't a big deal. Like being blind was a perfectly normal thing that everyone dealt with. "I don't know. I just sort of guess and hope I hit the paper."

"Yeah but don't they have like, special needs art class or something?"

Terezi shrugged. "Probably. I don't take any special needs classes."

"Why not?" Karkat asked dubiously.

"I don't need to," she replied. "I can take tests electronically in the library and teachers usually don't bitch at me for not turning in the homework. I don't want nor do I need special help. I can manage perfectly fine on my own, uh . . ." she gripped his arm a little tighter. "Most of the time."

Karkat wouldn't admit it, but he had a certain respect towards Terezi for that. It must be harder for her to take normal classes instead of taking the easy way out. It was commendable.

"So, uh . . . what colors do you want to start with?" he asked, looking down at the paints in front of them. The teacher had laid out a blank canvas at ever table. Since Karkat and Terezi had picked the seats at the back of the room, they didn't need to share with anyone else.

"Give me . . . hmm." She thought for a moment longer, then responded, "teal and red."

He searched through the small bottles until he found what she has asked for. Teal was that bluish green, right? Ah well . . . Not like she'd know the difference. He placed them in front of her.

She gripped the teal one in her hand. "Is this the red?"

"No."

She swapped them. "Okay, this is the red, right?"

"Yes."

"Describe it to me."

"What?" What did she mean _describe_ it? It was red! Red was red, what more did she need?

"I wasn't born blind you know," she told him. "I still remember what colors look like. What kind of shade is this red paint?"

_Oh._ "Uh . . . I don't know, it's sort of bright I guess?"

"Cherry red?"

"Do you mean like the really sugary cherries they put on icecream or the purplish ones that have the seeds?"

"The sugary ones."

"Then yes, it's cherry red," he assured her.

She shot him one of her bright-white grins. Her teeth sort of reminded him of a shark's, though he wasn't sure why. "Perfect! See, this is the color you smell like."

"I thought I smelled like candy apples?" Karkat asked.

She nodded. "Right, you do. But . . . I don't know. Since I can't see color anymore, I have to associate certain smells with the colors I remember to help make sure I don't forget. And if this is the color I'm thinking of, then this is what you're like in my head."

"Uh . . . okay? What about the teal?"

"The teal is me," she explained. "I'm going to paint the two of us."

Karkat felt blush rising in his cheeks. "Why?"

"Because I feel like it, dumbass."

"Mr. Vantas, are you going to paint or just stare at the white canvas?"

"I'm uh . . . using all the colors of the wind," Karkat improvised. He held up the blank canvas. "See?"

Mrs. Pichico cracked a smile and told him to get back to work. He grabbed the thickest brush he could find and began spreading gray paint all over the canvas.

"What will you paint?" Terezi asked him. It was sort of unnerving how she painted without looking at the canvas, or talked without making eye contact . . . Not that Karkat could really blame her but . . .

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I thought maybe just . . . a stick figure?"

"You should do a self-portrait," Terezi suggested.

"There are _many_ other people I'd rather paint than myself."

"Paint me then," she said. "I'm doing you, it's only fair. Draw me like your French girls, Karkles."

"It's Karkat," he corrected. "And that was incredibly weird. Has anyone ever told you that you come on a bit strong?"

"Every day."

* * *

"I don't think I can do this," Aradia said, grasping Sollux's arm as tightly as she could.

"It'll just be two seconds," he assured her. "It's the _girls _changing room, AA, I can't go in with you."

"M-maybe I could just sit out this class, I mean—"

"I've got to change too," he reminded her. "Come on. I'll be waiting right here when you get out, I promise."

She took a deep breath. "I think . . . I feel . . . something _different._"

Sollux peered down at her over his glasses. "_Really?_"

She gulped and swallowed. "I feel . . . fear. Not anxiety; _fear._"

"Well . . . you gotta start somewhere right? Fear is a step up from anxiety isn't it? A little more . . . controllable?" Sollux asked. He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Two seconds, Aradia. You'll be fine."

"What if the other girls see me . . . you know, _undressed?" _she asked.

"Then they'll probably all pass out from jealous."

She giggled. "Fine but . . . Hurry back, okay?"

He stood there for a few more minutes, assuring her that this was the only time they'd have to separate for the entire day, and that she'd be fine on her own, and that he wouldn't take more than half a second to change into his gym clothes.

"Alright, we're gonna be late." He kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"Please hurry . . ."

As he sped off down the hall, Aradia pulled her gym bag up to her chest. She could do this . . . she could do this.

The locker room was huge, with high ceilings. Ten rows of four stalls lined the floor, each of them wide open for everyone to observe your nudity.

She couldn't do this.

Ducking into the bathroom as quickly as she could, she latched the door behind her and took a few deep breaths. Sollux was wrong. She'd rather feel nothing than this . . .

No. No she couldn't think like that. She had to be strong for Sollux. She had to.

If she changed in the bathroom, he'd never know. She'd just exit through the locker room door and none would be the wiser.

Aradia hated to lie but . . . This wasn't really a lie, was it? Lots of people changed in the bathrooms! It was perfectly normal, after all . . . Surely Sollux wouldn't care.

After a few minutes, she joined him back out in the hallway. As promised, he was waiting there. The poor guy must have run all the way from the boys locker rooms on the other side of the gym to meet her.

"Ready?" he asked, offering his arm like a proper gentleman.

Aradia faked a huge smile. "Of course!"

* * *

"Egbert you're a fucking idiot," Dave said calmly into his mic. He and John were playing some stupid racing game against Dirk and Rose—and losing miserably.

"I'm sorry!" John's voice replied. "I'm not good at this stupid game, okay? I told you not to pick my for your team."

"It was either your or Rose," Dave said, leaning his entire body to the side as if that would help him perform better in the game.

"Maybe if you took those stupid glasses of you'd be able to see the TV," Rose pointed out as she overlapped him for the third time.

"Stuff it, Lalonde," Dave snapped. "You're jealous of my sick shades and you always have been."

"Hell the fuck yes," Dirk agreed. He and Dave had been battling for second most of the game.

"I would like to point out that my teammate is not currently present," Dave said, pushing against Rose in an attempt to distract her. He, his brother, and his sister were all squished together on the couch in their father's living room. Jake and Roxy were sitting on the floor, watching. Jake was only interested in play video games with guns and Roxy sucked at all of them.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Rose asked.

"I can't be held accountable for his stupidity if I'm not with him to monitor it," Dave explained.

"Hey!" John shouted defensively.

"Aw, is Lil Strider a sore loser?" Dirk teased.

"I am gonna kick your ass," Dave muttered.

"Loser has to keep the smuppets in their room for a week," Roxy proposed.

"Rox!" Dave cried. "Whose side are you on?!"

Roxy winked at her younger brother. "The _winning_ side, duh!"

"Betrayed, betrayed by my own flesh and blood," Dave grumbled. He slammed the controller down when John started driving the wrong way. "EGBERT!"

"Jade! Let go off my controller!"

Jade's voice sounded muffled. "No, I need to talk to Dave, it's important. DAVE!"

"You don't talk into the controller Jade," John told her, exasperated. Dave could hear crunching noises as John passed over his headset.

"Dave!?"

"Hi, Jade," Dave said, picking his controller back up and settling into the couch. He began driving again. "What's up?"

"I had a strange dream about you that I just thought you could use a warning about."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. In fact I fear it might be vital that you know."

"Alright, then tell me."

"I can't."

"I thought it was important."

"It is, but if I tell you that could just result in it happening! You're not supposed to know these things Dave, I'm always telling you this."

". . . Right. Well, John and I were sort of in the middle of something so if you could hand him the headset aga—"

"Oh! Janey made cookies!" More cracking and then John's voice. "Hey, sorry. She's been being extra weird lately."

"How much longer until her parents get back from that trip and she moves into her own house again?"

John sighed. His voice was hushed. "Don't repeat this but . . . I'm not so sure they're coming back."

"What do you mean?!" Dave and Rose shouted into their mics at the same time. Jade was really sensitive, and if what John was saying was true . . .

"N-never mind," John muttered. "Forget I said anything. Hey, I gotta go. Jade's right, my sister did make cookies, and I'm kind of starving. See you guys in school tomorrow."

"Egbert you can't leave me at a time like—FUCK!"

Dirk chuckled darkly and looked over at his little brother. "Smuppets tonight, then?"

* * *

29 . . . 28 . . . 27

God Sollux was hungry. There was a plate of cookies on the table. Maybe if he just took a few . . .

"Sollux?!" Aradia called nervously.

"Be right, in!" he called back, hastily snatching away the cookies and shoving them into his mouth. After a few more seconds the popcorn beeped so he took it out of the microwave, poured it into a bowl, and went back to the living room.

Sollux settled down into the couch next to Aradia, balancing the bowl of popcorn on his legs. "So, today wasn't too bad, huh?"

She bit her bottom lip. "I guess not."

Sollux sighed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she insisted. "Just . . . a little anxious I suppose. Nothing to worry about, really! I think I'm adjusting."

Sollux wrapped his arm around her and gave her shoulders a squeeze. "See? I knew you'd be fine. I'm really proud of you."

Aradia leaned her head against his shoulder and picked up the remote. They were about to watch some shitty romcom Karkat had suggested for them. Aradia had never pinned him as the type to like romantic comedies, but hey, he was really more Sollux's friend than hers.

About halfway through the film, Sollux's throat started to itch. His tongue felt a little swollen, and his eyes were watery. After a few minutes, the symptoms became progressively worse, and he pulled away from Aradia and ran to the bathroom.

"Sollux?!" she called after. Frantically, she jumped off the couch and ran after him. "Oh my god! What's happening to your face?"

"Hives!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

"Hives, my throat is scratchy, my mouth is swollen, my nose won't stop running, and I'm breaking out into hives!" he shouted, searching through the medicine cabinet for something that might help.

"Well what did you eat?!" she exclaimed.

"Popcorn," he told her. "And I grabbed a few cookies off the table while it was popping."

Aradia's eyes grew wide. "Sollux! Those had honey in them—you're allergic to honey!"

"Yeah no shit!" he gestured to his face. "How do I make it stop?!"

"How long have you felt sick?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I guess a little after the movie started my nose felt running but I thought I was just catching a cold or something—shit! Doesn't your Aunt keep Benadryl around?!"

"You're hyperventilating! Sit down or something." Aradia put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down to the toilet seat.

Sollux cradled his head in his hands. "I feel dizzy."

It was then that he slumped forward, unconscious.

Aradia stared at him, in shock. "Sollux? Sollux!"

She cupped some cold water in her hand and splashed it on him. Nothing happened. She ran out of the bathroom to call for her aunt, but the driveway was empty. When she came back, she found Sollux on the floor, shaking and jerking like he was having some sort of seizure.

"SOLLUX?!" she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed 9-1-1.

"9-1-1 what's your emergency?"

"I don't . . . I made cookies yesterday—"

"What?"

"My aunt and I made cookies and they had honey in them and my boyfriend's allergic to honey and now he's having a fit in my bathroom and I don't know what to do!" she yelled into the speaker. She hadn't meant to freak out on the guy, but for all she knew Sollux was dying. What would she do if he . . .?

No. No she wasn't going to think about that. They had just been having an awesome afternoon of movies and popcorn after a not-so-bad-first-day back at school.

"Okay, stay calm and check him for—"

"JUST SEND ME A FUCKING AMBULANCE!" she screamed, clammed down on the "end" key and hoping they'd hurry the hell up.

She took Sollux's hand and squeezed it. "Come on, Sollux . . . Please stop doing that, you're scaring me!"

She remembered something on TV about people biting their own tongues out during a seizure, so once the jerking stopped she shoved a towel into his mouth, just in case he started again.

* * *

"Hello?" Karkat answered dully. What the hell did he want now?

"Karkat?"

He straightened up in his desk chair. "Aradia? Is that you? Why are you using Sol's—"

"Karkat I did a terrible thing," Aradia said. Was she . . . was she crying? Sollux had said she _couldn't_ cry.

"Aradia what's wrong?" Karkat asked. "Where are you? Where's Sollux?"

"We're at the hospital," she told him. "I . . . I poisoned him."

"WHAT?!"

"It was an accident!" she explained. Her voice cracked. "I didn't . . . I forgot he was allergic to honey and I . . ."

Karkat ran his hand through his hair. He remembered once in middle school, Sollux had accidentally eaten some Honeynut Cheerios at lunch. His face had puffed up and the nurse had to give him a bunch of shots. "Christ . . . fuck . . . fuck. Is he gonna be okay?"

"He went into anaphylactic shock," Aradia said. "He . . . He didn't tell me he had eaten the cookies and we were watching a movie and he just started freaking out and then he passed out on the floor and starting seizing so I called for an ambulance and now we're here but he won't wake up, Karkat, I'm scared . . ."

"I'll be right there," he promised. "Just stay calm, Aradia, alright? Call your Aunt or something I'll be there in like ten minutes."

"Thank you . . ."

* * *

**A/N Okay so . . . I hadn't meant for that chapter to take the turn that it did, but I dunno it just came to me and I had to. So . . . sorry for any emotional trauma I might have caused? idk**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews guys! Keep it up!**

**Also, sorry for the lack of Strider/Lalonde/Egbert/Harley/English/Crocker recently. I threw a little in there for you. Fear not, I've got stuff planned for my human kids soon . . .**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN - Okay sorry this is so late and sorry if it seems kind of choppy . . . this chapter was hard for me to write. Keep the reviews coming you guys rock! Also, be warned, from this point on I can't promise I won't try extra hard to make you cry.**

* * *

"Is a honey allergy even a thing?" Kanaya asked. They were stuck in traffic just outside the hospital parking lot.

"Apparently so!" Karkat snapped. He had spent the drive from their house with his foot endlessly tapping and his face in his hands. "I googled it once a while ago, it's usually not a big deal but if you let it go too long without treating it, and if it's a severe enough allergy, you can enter anaphylactic shock. It's tied to like, a bee allergy or something I don't know."

"He's going to be okay," Kanaya assured him. Aradia's with him and his parents are on their way."

Karkat took a deep breath. He had to calm down before he went into the hospital or they might not let him into the room. That had happened once before when Gamzee had broken his arm the year before. Karkat went to visit him, unaware of how severe the injury from the car crash had been ("remind me never to drive when I'm high, Bro"). The nurses stopped him in the hallway and made him sit in the waiting room until he had calmed down enough to visit. What assholes . . .

"Is that Dave's car?" Kanaya muttered as she pulled into the lot. "Why would he be . . ."

"Strider?" Karkat asked. "His dad probably beat the shit out of his brother or something. Don't they make the trip down here like every other weekend?"

"Karkat!" Kanaya shouted. "Could you _be_ anymore insensitive?!"

"I don't know, give me a few minutes."

* * *

Aradia was pacing back and forth in front of Sollux's door. Since she wasn't family, she wasn't allowed to go in until the doctor said so. It was a stupid rule—he was the closest thing she had to family. If that door didn't open soon she'd burst in and give that man a piece of her mind . . .

"Miss Megido?" the nurse asked. "Could I get you a glass of water or maybe something to eat?"

"N-no, I'm fine," Aradia said. Her voice was still shaky from crying. "Thank you."

She heard a click behind her.

"IS HE OKAY?!" she shouted at the doctor before he had even opened the door all the way.

The doctor raised his hands and lowered them slowly, in a "calm down" gesture. "Mr. Captor should be fine. We were able to treat him fast enough and he appears to be doing fine. However, we're going to keep him overnight for observation, just to make sure the symptoms don't reappear. This kind of reaction can be fatal—"

"Yeah, yeah I know I read the Wikipedia page while I was waiting," Aradia interrupted. "Can I go see him now?"

The doctor rolled his eyes and stepped to the side. Aradia rushed into the room and ran to Sollux's bed.

"AA?" he asked groggily as she threw her arms around him.

"Shh!" she commanded. "You need to rest."

Whatever medication they had given him must have been strong, because he didn't even argue. His head fell to the side and he was out.

She pushed his hair out of his face. "You big idiot . . . Don't scare me like that."

* * *

Karkat walked into Sollux's room and did an immediate 180.

Aradia was sitting by his bed, holding his hand and staring at him in that weird way only a romantic partner can. It was sickening to watch.

He got the information on Sollux's condition from a nurse in the hall, and decided to take a seat outside the door at one of the conveniently placed chairs across from the door. Kanaya had gone off to see _why_ Dave Strider's car was parked at the hospital, so Karkat finally had a second alone.

Okay scratch that. Because such an idea is just totally preposterous. Naturally someone had to come and plop down _right next to him_ just as he had closed his eyes for a split second of rest.

Grumbling a little under his breath he turned to face his new companion. "Oh you have got to be _shitting_ me. What the hell are you doing here?!"

Terezi smiled. "I knew I could smell you, Vantas. And as for what I'm doing here, Dave got a game controller stuck where you wouldn't _believe—"_

_"_Yeah I don't wanna know," Karkat assured her.

"Suit yourself." She shrugged. "So what brings you here?"

"My best friend is an idiot," Karkat explained. "Sollux has a honey allergy, and he ate something at his girlfriend's house and here we are."

Terezi's eyebrows arched together, a look of concern washing over her face. "Is he gonna be okay?"

Karkat nodded. "They think so. Apparently he's gotta stay the night though—no idea how Aradia will take that. Don't they eventually kick all visitors out or something?"

She nodded. "Yeah, they wouldn't even let my family come see me when I . . . Never mind. Everybody knows hospitals suck, that's just part of it I guess. You here alone?"

"My sister went to see what's up with Strider," Karkat told her. "Why?"

"I need a ride home," Terezi admitted. "Dave's gonna be here a little longer than I thought and I've gotta get home before my mom has a heart attack. I mean what do you do when your blind daughter goes missing, right?"

"Where do you live?"

"396 West Grover Street," she told him. "Right next to the bank."

"Yeah . . . I can bring you home." Karkat stood up. "Let's go."

"Don't you want to see your friend first?" Terezi asked.

Karkat shrugged. "He's having a moment. I'll come back later—I'm gonna have to pick up Kanaya anyway."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Let's get out of here; hospitals make me jumpy."

* * *

"Karkat."

"Yeah?"

Terezi pouted at him. Or, near him. She was off by a few inches. "Aren't you gonna open the door for me?"

Karkat groaned. "Shit! Right, sorry I—"

"Forgot?" she guessed. "You seem to do that a lot."

"I'm still not fully convinced you're blind," he teased her as he helped her into the car without bumping her head.

"I'm more like . . . vision impaired," she reasoned. "I can usually manage to do things on my own."

"I've noticed."

"So Kanaya's _really_ not gonna care that you're leaving without her?" Terezi checked one last time.

Karkat nodded. "I'm coming right back, she'll live."

They made small talk as he drove, and Karkat slowly started to realize . . . He kind of liked Terezi. She wasn't as annoying as he had thought—or, well, as annoying as he found most people. She was actually kind of funny. And clever. And harsh . . . but in a good way. He couldn't help but smile around her, and he was honestly sort of glad that she couldn't see it.

"Okay so this is a really stupid question, but would you happen to know if your house has a big tree out front?" Karkat asked.

"Maple?" Terezi asked.

"Yep."

"We're here," she told him, opening her door. "I used to climb it all the time when I was little. Huge isn't it?"

Karkat nodded, realized she couldn't see him, and sighed. "Yeah . . . really huge. You can get in okay? Like you're not gonna trip and die on the stairs are you?"

"Oh _please!_" she shrieked, getting out of the car. "I could walk this path with my eyes closed." She snickered at her own joke and slammed the door shut. "Thanks again, Vantas!"

But Karkat didn't drive away. Not until he saw the front door close behind her.

You could never be too careful.

* * *

"He was _right here!" _Kanaya insisted to the nurse. "His friend is in that room!"

"Ma'am, no one's been in or out of this room since I clocked in," the nurse told her again. "Half an hour ago."

"Maybe he's in the bathroom or something," Rose suggested. "It's not like he could have gotten very far. We'll find him."

"He always does this!" Kanaya complained. "He never tells me anything, just comes and goes as he pleases—"

"Deep breathes," Rose told her, shaking her shoulders a little. "I haven't seen Terezi in a while either. Maybe they went off to make out somewhere."

"Not likely, Lalonde."

Kanaya spun around on her heels. "Karkat! Where were you?!"

"Terezi needed a ride home," he explained, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Figured I'd give Aradia and Sollux a little more time alone."

"Well visiting hours end in fifteen minutes," she told him. "So if you would like to see Sollux before we leave, I suggest you do so now."

Karkat rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll only be a minute."

He turned around and walked towards Sollux's door, dragging his feet.

"What's his problem?" Rose asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kanaya replied. "He is in love. He probably doesn't know it yet."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Kanaya . . . Did you . . .?"

She shot her girlfriend a sly grin and said nothing. Nothing wrong with being a good big sister.

* * *

"Sol."

"Murrrrrrph."

"Sollux."

"Hmmmmmmm."

"CAPTOR!"

"Ugh . . ." Sollux's eyes blinked open. "What?"

"I have to leave soon. Just thought you should know what an amazing friend I am. I sat out in that waiting room letting my ass get sore for over an hour waiting for your honey-poisoned mug to wake the fuck up while your girlfriend made googley eyes at you. I hope you are now able to fully comprehend the amount of suffering I went through for you and your idiotic inability to check what you're shoving down your throat _before_ you eat it. Sweet dreams and I'll see you tomorrow."

Sollux rolled his eyes as Karkat turned his back to him. "Love you too, KK!"

"Shut the fuck up."

* * *

"Alright . . . No more video games," Dirk said when they got back to the car.

"Would you calm down?" Dave begged. "The doctors said it wasn't even that bad! I'm sure they get stuff like this all the time."

"Yeah I'm sure lots of guys' sisters shove game controllers up their—"

"Enough, Rose!" Dirk scolded. "Just . . . don't say it."

"Family pact right now to never mention this again," Dave suggested.

"Agreed!" Dirk, Roxy, and Rose chimed.

"Unless we're like, really drunk on your wedding night or something," Roxy reasoned. "I mean, c'mon we can't keep this bottled up forever it's kinda hilarious."

"Point taken, Rox. From this point forth, the incident of Dave's unfortunate video game experience will not be mentioned in the Strider-Lalonde household without the presence of wedding bells and alcohol," Dirk agreed.

Dave pulled his seat belt over himself, scowling.

"C'mon dude!" Dirk punched his shoulder. "Smile a little! We're just messing with you."

Before Dave had the chance to make a witty retort, he was interrupted by a harsh knock on his passenger's side window. Dave jumped, startled.

"God damn it, Egbert!" he exclaimed as he cranked the window down (yes, cranked. Their car was _that _old).

"Are you okay?!" John exclaimed, panting heavily. "S-sorry I'm late, I had to run here."

"You live like six miles away," Rose told him.

John nodded. "Yeah . . . I know."

"Well . . . I'm fine now," Dave told him. "As you can see."

"I still don't get how you managed to get a—"

"NO!" the four of them shouted in unison.

"We're not talking about it," Rose explained.

John nodded. "Right. Well, I brought Jade. She was nervous about you, Dave."

Dave looked around. "Where is she?"

A small hand reached up into view. "Here . . ." Jade said weakly.

"She's not used to this much physical activity all at once."

"That's what you get for being narcoleptic," Dirk muttered under his breath.

Jade pulled herself to her feet and shot Dirk her best puppy-eyes. "Could we please get a ride home?"

"You ran here, run back!" Dave teased.

Jade looked like she was about to cry. "Dave! I was really worried about you don't be a jerk."

Dave sighed and unlocked the doors. John slid into the front next to him and Jade squeezed in the back between Rose and Roxy.

As Dirk began backing out of the parking lot, Dave slammed his hands down on the dashboard. "WAIT!"

"What now?!" his brother exclaimed, clearly annoyed.

"Didn't we have Terezi with us when we got here?"

Everyone in the car let out a groan.

"How many times a week are we going to lose her?" Roxy asked. "Just give me a rough estimate and I'll feel better."

"We don't need to worry about her," Rose assured them. "TZ's was keeping herself busy at the hospital, last I heard."

"What the hell do you mean?" Dave asked. "God was she licking random shit again? I keep telling her that's weird . . ."

Rose giggled. "Oh, no, brother dear. Our Sweet Terezi has her eye on a _guy."_

Dave lowered his sunglasses and made direct eye contact with his sister. "Don't joke around with me, Lalonde."

"I'm serious!" she insisted. "Kanaya used her awesome match-maker powers and set Terezi up with a dude."

"Do we know said dude?" John asked.

Rose wiggled her eyebrows.

"Tell us!" Roxy begged. "Nothing exciting ever happens at least give us this."

"You guys remember Kanaya's older brother?"

Everyone started shouting at once.

Dave; "THE FUCK?!"

Dirk; "The short one?"

John; "You mean Karkat?"

Jade; "Oh not that guy . . ."

Roxy; "Go Terezi!"

"Guys, come on," Rose said, silencing them. "Terezi deserves _someone_. And she seems to really like Karkat. I mean she asked him for a ride home and everything."

"She left me on my deathbed so she could spend some alone time with that turd-bowler-douche-muffin?" Dave sounded offended.

"Hardly your deathbed," Rose snorted.

"Alright can I drive home now?" Dirk put his hands on the wheel. "Like I don't need to be parked for you all to gossip about the blind girl do I?"

* * *

Aradia walked out of the women's room, dabbing at her eyes. She had to stop crying. The doctor said Sollux would be waking up soon. She didn't want him to see her cry, not there . . .

As she walked back to his room, she heard someone talking to a nurse about needing to spend the night. The nurse responded that visiting hours were over in eleven minutes. Aradia began to sprint.

She walked into the room to find Sollux fully awake and staring at her. "Where'd you go?"

She felt her knees buckle. He was okay, he wasn't going to die, he was okay . . .

"Idiot!" she shrieked, throwing her arms around his neck. "Idiot, idiot, idiot . . . I'm so sorry—"

"Hey, I'm the idiot here, remember?" he teased, pulling her off him so he could meet her eyes. "I'm the stupid one who ate the honey cookies."

"Oatmeal," Aradia corrected. "With honey in them. And I should have said something before you even went into the kitchen I wasn't thinking, this is my fault—"

"Come on!" he exclaimed, a little irritated. "Don't blame yourself, okay? It was totally my fault."

Aradia sniffled. "They're going to kick me out soon. Sollux I don't want to leave you here . . ."

"I'll be okay," he promised. "They just want to make sure I don't di—I mean, they just want to make sure nothing happens to me in my sleep."

"I could have my therapist call in and explain," Aradia suggested. "Maybe they'd let me stay with you if they knew how insane I get when I'm anxious. I mean I'm not afraid to punch out a nurse. After the day I've had I'll do it willingly."

Sollux laughed. "They're clearing me in the morning; I'll see you at school. The only reason I passed out was because I couldn't breathe, but like, no brain damage or anything too severe. I'll text Karkat to pick you up in the morning, and you can meet me for breakfast in the cafeteria. Deal?"

Aradia really didn't want to agree. But she felt like she owed it to him at this point. "Deal. Hey, have you heard from your parents?"

Sollux chuckled nervously. "Yeah, see that was kind of gonna be a surprise I had for you . . . They're in France for a week, and I know how much you hate being at your house alone at night, so I was gonna see if—"

"You were gonna ask me to stay at your house?" Aradia interrupted, beaming.

Sollux's cheeks turned bright red. "Well, yeah but, we didn't have to like, _do _ anything or whatever it was just so you didn't have to be alone at night—but it was stupid just forget I mentioned it."

"No, no!" she exclaimed. "I'd love to! Starting tomorrow, I mean."

"Ms. Megido!" a nurse snapped from the hallway. "You have five minutes to get your butt out of there!"

Aradia mouthed, _I want to kill that bitch!_ And leaned in to give Sollux a kiss goodbye. He squeezed him tightly one last time.

"I love you," he told her.

And then, the day got even more crazy. "_I love you too." _


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N; okay sorry in advance for any possible grammatical errors. I tend to be sloppy with fanfictions and not proof read. I promise you I'm not an illiterate bumble who doesn't know the difference between "there" "their" and "they're"-I just don't go over anything and I'm SO sorry for that! I've really gotta work on it, I know. So, yeah. Sorry for any typos in this chapter or in future/previous ones. That is all**

* * *

The next day at school was . . . Eventful.

Karkat's phone started buzzing before he even got a chance to walk in the door.

**SOLLUX: hey a22hole come meet aa and ii for breakfa2t**

Karkat sighed. He had already eaten a flavorless bowl of oatmeal and managed to stomach an entire travel mug of his father's god awful coffee. The bags under his eyes were more prominent than ever, his hair was a fucking mess, and he just wanted to go back to sleep. Putting up with Sollux so early in the morning was not something he was looking forward to.

He looked in the front doors of the school. The cafeteria was a straight shot down the first hallway, which happened to be crowded with quite possibly every single one of the school's 3000 students. Sollux was so fucking lucky Karkat liked him.

**KARKAT: ILL BE RIGHT THERE TRY NOT TO HURT YOURSELF **

"Vantas."

Karkat looked up from his phone and found himself eye-to-sunglasses with none other than Dave fucking Strider. "Can I help you?"

Dave shook his head. "Can't a guy hang around with his bro?"

"We are not 'bros'," Karkat told him. "We've had like, one conversation."

"You came to see me at the hospital last night."

"I went to see my idiotic friend with a bee allergy," he corrected.

Dave shrugged. "Tomato, tomahto; you were still there. And you gave Terezi a ride home."

Karkat's eyebrows pressed together. "Is that seriously what this is about? Dude, trust me, I'm not moving in on your girlfriend or whatever—"

"Not my girlfriend," Dave insisted. "And I'm not some territorial douche bag who's gonna tell you you're not allowed to talk to her anymore or I'll get my much taller older brother to beat the shit out of you. Hell, I'll bet Rose could do it. I'm just here say thank you for getting her home safe. None of that alpha male garbage."

"Oh . . ." Karkat's shoulders relaxed. "Well . . . you're welcome, I guess. Now if you'll excuse me—"

"One other thing," Dave said, stepping in his way again so Karkat wasn't able to get through. "I know your friends with that stoner guy. Just . . . don't let Terezi get into that, alright? It won't end well."

"I'm not a—"

"I _know_ you're not. Fuck you're Kanaya's brother, she'd never let you. But if Terezi gets too close to that sort of thing—no, you know what? Never mind. Not my business anyway. I'm gonna go find Pyrope."

"Might as well stick around," Karkat grumbled miserably, pushing his way past the wall Dave's body had created. "She tends to find me."

And because the gods of the universe just fucking love pissing on him, the first thing Karkat heard upon entering the overly crowded school was, "KARKAT!" in that raspy, over-excited, and slightly creepy voice that was becoming a little _too_ familiar.

He sighed. "Hello Terezi."

"What are you doing here to early?"

"Kanaya had to go to some kind of before-school meeting," he explained. "So I'm going to breakfast."

"I'll come too!" she said, inviting herself. Karkat didn't protest, he just kept walking. She skipped along beside him, waving out her cane and bumping dozens of kids in the ankles. Dave stalked along behind them, keeping an eye on his friend.

"Thank you for bringing me home, by the way," she said as they walked. Her voice was calmer now, like she actually meant it.

"Well, I needed something to do anyway," Karkat shrugged it off. "It was no big deal."

Terezi bit her lip. _This is a bad idea,_ she told herself. But then again, since when did she care? She got up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. At least, she hoped it was his cheek. "It was sweet of you."

Karkat felt heat rising in his cheeks at record speed. Strider sniggered from behind them. "Uh . . . it . . . I mean—"

"Kar!"

"Oh fucking hell—" Karkat began, but he was cut off by Eridan grabbing his shoulder and pulling him through the crowd. He couldn't get one fucking break, could he?

"You'll never guess what I caught Sol doin' this morning!" Eridan exclaimed. "It was so—"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE!" Karkat shouted.

"But—"

"No buts! God damn it Eridan we get it, yyou hate Sollux can we please talk about something else for once? Are you coming to breakfast?"

"That's what I'm talking about!" Eridan exclaimed. "Sol invited everyone to breakfast but me! How fucking rude."

"Well I'm not surprised considering how much he hates you," Terezi interjected. "Seriously you two have some issues to work out."

"How the hell would you even know—"

"You got some kinda speech impediment or something?" Dave asked forwardly.

"What the hell are you talkin abou—"

"You keep doing that thing."

"What thing?"

"That thing!" Dave exclaimed. "With the 'w's! It's weird cut it out."

"I don't know what you're talkin about Strider."

"And he never will," Karkat grumbled. "Now can I _please_ just get through this fucking hallway without anymore interruptions?"

-skip-

"Alright, first things first," Karkat announced, once they had finally gotten to the cafeteria.

"I don't know any of you," Dave observed.

"Strider shut your goddamn mouth," Karkat snapped. "We're addressing a very important topic in our flawed circle of friendship. As most of you know, before Spring Break, I smacked lips with Terezi, leading the two of us to become somewhat reluctant friends, and crowning me as winner of the final dare of the semester. As the rules clearly state, this makes Sollux, the darer, the loser. And we all know what the loser has to do."

Dave raised his hand. "I don't know what the loser has to do."

"Me either," Terezi chimed in.

"I forget," Gamzee added.

Karkat put two fingers to the bridge of his nose. He was getting a headache from the mass amounts of stupidity in the room.

"Loser has to buy a tampon from the girls bathroom and show it to the rest of the group as physical evidence," Sollux explained.

"That's fucking brilliant," Dave praised. "I want in on this."

"Mother fucker wants to join the covenant of the brotherhood," Gamzee said.

"For the millionth time stop calling it that!" Karkat barked. "Strider, if you want to gamble your own self-respect the next time we have bet that's perfectly fine, but right now, this is Sollux's punishment. As the winner I get to pick the deadline, and after long consideration, I've decided that it will be today, at lunch."

"I've gotta do it during school!" Sollux exclaimed. "KK no fair!"

"Doesn't Aradia make you go into the bathroom with her anyway?" Eridan snorted.

"That's it, Asshole!" Sollux tried to jump on the table and punch him in the face, but Karkat at Gamzee grabbed his arms and held him down, as if they had done it a million times.

Terezi nudged Karkat's shoulder. "Is Aradia here?"

Sollux answered for him. "Not yet. She texted me a little while ago, she was having trouble finding her keys."

"To be honest, I'm surprised she wasn't sitting in here hours ago, waiting for you with a bagel and hot coffee," Karkat admitted. "She looked like a wreck last night."

Sollux smirked a little. "Yeah . . . She did, didn't she?"

"The hell are you smiling for?"

Sollux shrugged. "Nothing . . ."

He looked around the cafeteria. Sitting at the table nearest the door was Tavros. From the looks of it, he was being harassed by Vriska yet _again; _most likely about his lack of self-confidence. At the table next to them, Equius was fumbling with a screw driver in something that might have started out as a cell phone, and Nepeta was doodling in her notebook. Still no sign of Aradia.

Eridan let out a heavy sigh. Following his eyes to the table behind them, Sollux found the swim team, lead as usual by Feferi. Typical.

"So, correct me if I'm wrong, but the vibe I'm getting here is that; all of you hate everyone, including each other, but you tolerate one another due to your mutual hatred towards everyone?" Dave asked just as Sollux tuned back into the conversation.

"Beautifully put," Karkat agreed with a small nod. "I can't stand any of you."

Terezi scrunched up her nose. "Come on now, we all know that's not true!"

"Yeah bro, you just gotta chill more," Gamzee said thoughtfully. Karkat rolled his eyes. "Let motha fuckin loose."

"I think you're all idiots," Sollux said. "And that's putting it kindly."

"SORRY I'M LATE!" Aradia shouted as she ran into the cafeteria. Everyone in the rooms' head shot up to look as she held out a brown paper bag to Sollux and handed him an iced coffee. "I wanted to stop and get you a treat to say sorry for yesterday. I promise there's no honey!"

Sollux opened up the bag and pulled out what was inside. It was a plain bagel with cream cheese and a chocolate muffin. Karkat raised an eyebrow at him knowingly.

"It's _iced_ coffee, Asshole," Sollux pointed out. "And you said nothing about a muffin."

Aradia looked confused. "What are you—"

"Nothing," he told her, scooting to the side so she could sit next to him.

"I actually got you something to," Karkat admitted, reaching into his backpack.

Sollux narrowed his eyes. "Really?"

Karkat nodded and tossed something at him. "Yep."

Sollux caught it; a little yellow bear with a label that said _Busy Bee_.

"Wow, that's fucking hilarious," he said dryly.

Karkat shrugged modestly. "I try."

Terezi kicked him under the table. He sighed. "It's honey," he told her.

"Wow you're a jerk," she observed with a sly grin.

The bell rang for them to get to home room. Sighing heavily, they all pulled themselves to their feet and slung their bags over their shoulders.

"We meet back here for lunch," Karkat reminded them. "Sollux has a deed to pay."

* * *

Third period was, as always, torturous.

"Why do I need to know this?!" Sollux shouted at his paper.

Terezi sniggered. "Because the educational system sees us all as brainless puppets. We all need to be fed the same information and spit back out into the world with the same level of ignorance to actually issues."

"That was actually pretty deep," Aradia complimented. "And I agree completely. This is dumb."

"Ugh screw this."

Aradia stood up. "I need a bathroom break."

Sollux shot up too. "I'll go with you."

"I think I can handle it on my own . . ."

"Nah . . . there's something I gotta do," he admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Aradia rolled her eyes. "You lost another bet against Karkat didn't you."

"Maybe—"

"I'm not getting it for you this time."

"Come on _please—_"

"No."

Terezi plugged her headphones back in as they exited the room. Their math teacher didn't make you ask permission before leaving, as long as you got all your work done during the period.

Terezi's disability required her to have a slightly unorthodox learning experience. Instead of doing busy work on the paper, she had a tablet she carried around to every class. Her teachers would upload the assignments and the audio-response would read them to her through headphones. For classes like English and History, she could type her answer with a keyboard. For Math and Science she got multiple choice for anything non-essay related. To be fair to the other kids, the tablet wasn't _supposed_ to be able to get onto the internet. But with a little help from Sollux, Terezi could google any answer she needed. You know, as long as she shared her findings with her Hacker Helper.

She had already looked up all the answers to the math assignment, and had spent the rest of the class looking up information about Karkat online. Okay, maybe it was a little stalker-y but she couldn't help herself.

What she found was disappointingly little. He ran a blog where he wrote movie reviews (mostly about romantic comedies, which she found pretty weird) and ranted about how much he hated the world. But that was all she could find. No Facebook profile, no Twitter, not even an Instagram (not that she'd be able to see the pictures anyway).

She wanted to know more about him but she was too afraid to ask. He seemed a little hostile towards her—maybe her being blind made him uncomfortable. It wouldn't be the first time that had happened. But what really bothered her most of all was his stupid face. She had no idea what he even _looked_ like.

Judging by where his voice came from when he spoke, Karkat couldn't have been more than three inches taller than her, but other than that Terezi knew nothing. What color were his eyes and hair? What was his skin tone? How long was his hair—how big was his nose?

Almost everyone she was friends with had known her before her accident. She could still remember what Dave and his brother and sisters looked like, and she knew what Vriska, Tavros, Equius, and Nepeta looked like too. But . . . she hadn't gone to middle school with Karkat and the others. At least, she didn't remember them if she had. It was so unfair to be in love with someone you couldn't see—

Whoa. No she did _not_ just think that. LOVE?! The 'L' word! No way, not with Karkat Vantas . . . She was letting her mind run wild. There was no way she could possibly feel that way towards him . . . Was there?

* * *

Terezi found her way to her seat during health without Karkat assistance. Ms. Dots was absent, so the sub put on a movie about date-rape and left the room. He probably wouldn't come back.

No one was paying attention to the movie at all. They were all talking and laughing and being way too loud to not get caught. But Terezi didn't say a word. She didn't want to bother him.

"Are you okay?" Karkat asked finally.

Terezi nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been completely silent this entire class," he told her. "Did I do something wrong?"

She sighed. Was it that obvious? "No, I just . . . I was thinking, that's all."

"About what?" he asked, and then cursed himself. It was none of his business . . .

"You," she said honestly. "I'm trying to picture what you look like based on your personality but . . . I got nothing."

"Does it bother you that much?" he asked. "That you don't know?"

She nodded. "I like to think that we've become friends over the past few days of knowing each other. For the most part I know what all my friends look like because I knew them before I went blind. With you though? It's a mystery."

"I could tell you if you wanted," he offered.

"No . . . let me think about it a little bit more," she decided. "When I've got an idea I'll let you know, and you can tell me if I'm right."

"Deal," Karkat agreed. "Now come on . . . Let's get out of here before the teacher comes back. The last thing I want is to be stuck in this class longer than I have to be."

"Where are we going?" she asked as he helped her out of the desk.

He shrugged. "The parking lot probably. We can hide in my sister's car until lunches start."


	8. Chapter 8

Kanaya's car smelled like roses and vanilla. According to Karkat, it was small ("How the hell am I supposed to know what model it is?! Do I look like a fucking car salesman to you?") green four-door with a black interior. He also described it as "old as dirt", "incredibly shitty" and "unbelievably run down", but Terezi knew better. Kanaya was the kind of person who would take care of her vehicle—no matter how old it was.

"What are you wearing today?" Terezi asked. She had her feet perched up on the dashboard and the seat reclined. Karkat was next to her in the driver's seat, flipping through CDs.

"Jeans and a sweatshirt."

"Informative."

He let out a heavy sigh. "Dark blue jeans and a black sweatshirt with my dirty old sneakers."

"And what am _I_ wearing today?" she asked. In all honesty, she had no clue. Her mom would usually lie something out for her the night before, promising that it matched just fine and she wouldn't look like a total loser.

"A red and white stripped sweater with light blue jeans and black boots," he told her, hardly glancing up from the CDs.

They sat in silence for a moment, neither really knowing what to say.

Eventually, Karkat cleared his throat. "So, uh . . . Sorry, but all my sister's music sucks."

He shoved the CDs back under the seat.

"That's alright," Terezi told him. "I think I'll live."

"Do you like music?" he asked her.

"That's like asking if I like chocolate."

"Some people _don't_ like chocolate, you know."

"Some people don't have _souls."_

"What _kind _of music do you like?" he corrected himself.

She began twirling a strand of her hair around her fingers. "I don't know. Any kind, I guess. Not country though—that stuffs stupid."

"Agreed."

"What about you?"

Karkat shrugged—not that she could see it. "I guess . . . sad music. Because it makes me feel better about my life. At least I'm not some whiny asshole with a guitar."

Terezi laughed. "Fair enough. And I guess you like romcoms?"

Karkat felt heat rising in his cheeks. "Uh . . ."

"I found your blog," she told him. "My tablet read your posts to me. _500 Days of Summer_ was awful by the way."

"Are you kidding?! It was genius."

She shook her head. "I don't even think it counts as a romantic comedy. I didn't laugh once."

"Pft what to you know—you couldn't see it anyway."

"Oh you wanna go there?" she cackled. "I'll show you a _real_ movie sometime."

"Just say when," he accepted the challenge.

Terezi paused. An opportunity like this might not come up again. "Fine. The theatre on main, Friday. You can pick me up at 8."

Did she just ask him out? "Deal."

* * *

Sollux stared down the hallway leading to the lunchroom, head held high. There was no way he was giving Karkat the satisfaction of knowing he had been humiliated yet again.

"I think she has this lunch," Aradia told him. "Are you _sure_ you don't wanna just eat in the car?"

"Positive," he said, swallowing his pride. Hand in hand, they walked together into the lunch room.

Karkat spotted them first. The normal shit-eating-grin Sollux always put on when Aradia was around had cracked slightly. His eyes were trained on the girl sitting at the end of the table rather than his punisher.

"Let's see it," Karkat said when Sollux reached them.

"Patience."

Sollux and Aradia squeezed in between Gamzee and Dave. Terezi and Karkat sat next to each other across from them, with John Egbert and Jade Harley on either side.

Jade stared up at Sollux, blush rising in her cheeks. "N-nice to see you again."

_God damn it,_ he thought. Jade had walked into the bathroom just as Sollux was putting his quarter in the fucking tampon machine. She had run out before he got a chance to explain himself. This should be fun.

"Do you have the item?" Karkat asked formally.

John's eyes shot to Dave. "Wow you weren't kidding, they really do this, huh?"

"Isn't it great?" Dave replied.

Sollux reached into his pocket and pulled out a tampon. He threw it down on the table. "Happy?"

Karkat grinned. "As I'll ever be."

"Oh sweet!" a high-pitched voice chimed from behind. A long, pale arm reached across Karkat and snatched up the tampon. Everyone turned to see—well, other than Terezi—Roxy Lalonde standing over them, unzipping her backpack to store Karkat's winnings.

"Rox!" Dave cried, embarrassed.

"There's no way I'm letting Kanaya's Lady-Killer brother keep something like this," Roxy defended. "Believe it or not these things actually serve a purpose in the real world."

"What are you gonna do, donate it?" Dave asked his older sister.

She shrugged. "Seniors need 12 hours of community service, don't they?"

She slid in between John and Terezi. "So, I'm Roxy, Rose and Dave's older sister."

"Karkat."

"Gamzee."

"Eridan Ampora."

"Sollux."

"I'm Aradia."

"Nice to meet you," she said, smiling. "So, Karkat. Your sister's in lesbians with mine?"

"I guess so."

"And you're mackin on Pyrope?"

Karkat and Terezi both turned a shade of violent red. "Uh—I don't—um."

She giggled. "You're too funny!" She turned back to Dave. "So, Lil Man. Strider's gonna pick us up from school and we're all going to the mall."

"But I drove here," Dave told her.

"We'll pick your car up on the way back no big deal," Roxy insisted. "The only problem is finding Terezi a ride home . . . Hey—Vantas! I've got an idea. Why don't you drive her home again like you did last night?"

"What happened last night?" Aradia asked, looking just as confused as pretty much everyone else Karkat _hadn't_ told.

Roxy winked. "Oh you know. Boy-girl stuff. Hella nasty I'm sure."

"ROXY!"

"I'm just jokin', sheesh!" she waved her brother off. "Seriously though, you don't mind giving her a ride do you?"

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Karkat mumbled into his sandwich.

"Perfect!"

"Roxy Lalonde! Are you harassing Dave's new friends?" Now Rose was here too. Karkat wanted to scream but he held it in—this was his sisters girlfriend after all. He could deal with one more annoying piece of shit at the table, couldn't he?

"I'm just being friendly!" Roxy began, but Rose shook her head.

"No, come on. You're coming to eat with Kanaya and me."

Roxy rolled her eyes and stood up. "_Fine." _

When they were gone, Dave looked up at Karkat. "Sorry."

Karkat shrugged. "You can't pick family."

"Why are you guys going to the mall, anyway?" Jade asked.

Dave shrugged. "Who knows?"

But he _did _know. The only reason Dirk would ever call for an unnecessary trip to the mall in the middle of the week was if their dad had finally found his way back home.

The first days back were always the worse. He was so angry to be back rather than out in the world on his own—pretending he didn't have responsibilities like kids—that all he could do was yell and hit them.

When Dirk got his license, they'd spend a majority of their time driving around town looking for something to do. Rose and Roxy joined them a few months after, and it somehow evolved to trips to the mall whenever their father was home.

But Dave couldn't let anyone know that, obviously. So he lied.

Terezi, though, well . . . She was a different story. She knew everything. Not because he told her—because she was _that_ good. She was giving a worried look in his general direction. He found himself wishing once again that she had never gone blind, so he could give her a look letting her know it was fine.

"So, are you two a thing?" Aradia asked, gesturing at Karkat and Terezi with her fork.

"No!" they both exclaimed in unison.

"She just . . . needed a ride home," Karkat explained.

Terezi nodded. "Roxy just likes to make things sound more scandalous than they are."

Aradia and her boyfriend shared a look. _They are _so_ full of shit._

* * *

Sollux got into the passenger's seat of Aradia's car, trying to stay calm. He was known to have random fits of mood change—especially around that asshole Vantas—but he tried to control them around her. She was too delicate for that . . . At least, right now she was.

"So . . . to your house?" she asked.

"Why don't we stop for coffee first?" he suggested. If he were lucky it was going to be a very long night.

"It's kinda late . . ." she said, glancing down at the clock radio. "Your caffeine addiction is really getting out of hand."

"Yup," he agreed, only a little sarcasm in his voice. "That's exactly it."

She punched his shoulders lightly and put the car in gear. "You're lucky I love you."

_Two times in 24-hours, _he thought. _She's either over-compensating or really starting to get better._

* * *

Kanaya stopped the car in front of Terezi's house. "You're all set?"

Terezi nodded. "Thank you again for the ride, Kanaya."

"Any time," she replied with a smile.

"See you in school, Karkat," Terezi said as she climbed out of the backseat.

Karkat, who had spent the ride with his arms over his chest, grumbling things like "stupid Lalonde" or "setting me up" glanced up at her and nodded. "R-right. And . . . uh . . . Friday?"

She shot him a huge grin. "Friday!"

After she had made it safely back inside, Kanaya pulled away from the house. "So, what's happening on Friday?"

"Nothing!" Karkat snapped. "None of your business anyway."

She gave him a knowing smile. "Come _on,_ Karkat! It's me—you can tell me anything."

He muttered something under his breath and turned to face the window. Kanaya sighed. Ah well . . . He'd tell her when he was ready.

* * *

Dirk pulled up to the school and honked the horn. He had rigged the car to make a loud SQUEEK whenever he did, so they'd always know it was him.

"We're standing right here!" Rose shouted. "Did you really feel the need to show off your horn _that_ much?"

"He just likes embarrassing us," Roxy concluded.

Dirk grinned. "Come on, let's go before all the good pastries are taken from the Starbucks."

Dave got in the passenger's seat, and Roxy didn't protest. Not today. She and Rose sat next to each other in the back.

"Can't believe you got this thing running again," Dave mused, looking around. This had been their first car, which was now going on 20 years old. After it had broken down two years ago, Dirk had declared it a lost cause and convinced their dad to help them buy a new—equally shitty but in slightly better condition—car from a friend. It's what Dave used to get to school every day. Dirk must have been out in the garage for hours working on it . . . But then again, with their father _in_ the house, Dave couldn't really blame him.

"So, how was school?" Dirk asked, like he did every day. He was in college now to be an engineer, but only had classes Wednesday through Friday.

"Captor bought a tampon," Dave told him. "And Terezi kissed that Vantas kid on the cheek."

"Turns out I passed my math exam," Roxy said. Dirk let out a sigh of relief. Roxy couldn't afford to flunk out of high school. Not when she had already made it this far.

"What about you, Rosie?" he asked. Dirk had a bad habbit of adding "ie" to the end of people's names. The only one who let him get away with it was Jane Crocker—but that was only because everyone else had joined in.

"_Rose,_" she corrected, for the millionth time. "And I suppose it was rather uneventful."

The rest of the ride was almost completely silent. They all knew _why_ they were going to the mall—and that kind of sucked the fun out of it.

When they got there, they managed to waste a few hours dodging in and out of stores, watching Roxy try on a bunch of dresses they'd never be able to afford, and munching on brownies from Starbucks.

Rose took a huge slurp of her strawberry mango smoothie. "The mall closes in like, ten minutes. Are we going home?"

Dirk looked down at his cell phone. "It's getting late . . . And we all have school tomorrow."

Sighing, they made their way back to the parking lot and set off for the Lalonde house. Roxy offered to spend the night at their place, insisting that their mother wouldn't mind, but Dirk wouldn't let her. God knows what their dad would do if he found her . . .

Once the girls were gone, Dave grabbed his brother's wrist.

"You've been pulling on your sleeve all night," he said. "I noticed. Now show me."

Dirk wouldn't look at him. "It's nothing, dude. Don't worry about it."

"Dirk."

For a second, he broke. And that was all it took. Dave's glasses were off and he was shooting the most undignified puppy-look of all time. Goddamn that kid . . . Dirk had taught him well. Reluctantly, he pulled up his sleeve.

Dirk's entire wrist was black and blue. There were marks from where their father's finger nails had dug into his skin, and even some dried blood around the edges.

"That looks bad . . ."

Dirk nodded. "Which is why we're staying at John's tonight."

"Egbert's dad is okay with that?" Dave asked. Since Jake and Jade had been staying with them, Mr. Egbert had acted like a surrogate father to them. Meaning, they had to follow all his rules.

"He, uh . . . he understands the situation." Oh god, how much had Dirk told them? "You can stay in John's room. I'll be on the couch. I'll drop you two and Jade off in the morning and you can hang out with Roxy at the diner until I come back from school, got it?"

Dave nodded absently and stared down at his lap. He was so tired of all this.

Dirk awkwardly reached across the seat and wrapped his arm around Dave's shoulder. "He's not gonna beat us this time, okay?"

Dave pulled away from the awkward embrace. That wasn't how Striders did things. "Whatever."

* * *

Aradia stood in front of the mirror, obsessively patting down her hair. Oh gosh, this was happening, wasn't it? She was sleeping at her boyfriends house . . . And if all went well, she could hide her until his parents got back!

Taking one final pat to the top of her hair, she nodded, and strode out of the bathroom, trying to look calm and collected. She walked into Sollux's room to find him sitting behind his computer desk, wearing nothing but boxers and a muscle shirt.

"Wow . . ." she muttered.

"What?" he asked, standing up.

She shook her head and laughed. "Nothing just . . . you look kinda cute."

He crossed the room and pressed his palm into hers. "You look kinda cute, too."

She took a deep breath and shifted her weight. She had been dreading this moment all day. "Uh . . . Sollux?"

"Hm?"

"You don't uh . . . I mean if you wanted to . . . You're not-I mean . . . Uh, shit okay let me try this again. You weren't planning on, um . . . _doing things_, were you?"

Sollux's face turned bright red. He pulled his hand away from hers and crossed them behind his back. "No!-Well I mean if you wanted to I'm up for it but-"

"No, no-I mean, unless you want to in which case I guess-"

"Whatever makes you comfortable!" he blurted. "I just . . . I want you to feel at home here."

She beamed at him. "Then, for tonight at least . . . Let's just cuddle or something."

He shut off the light switch behind her. "Fine by me."


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry this took so long! And sorry it's generally really shitty. I've been exhausted and busy and . . . yeah just, sorry :/ **

**Thanks for all the awesome reviews!**

* * *

Friday came faster than anyone could have hoped. And while normally that would have been a great thing, that particular week Friday meant stress and panic. At least for Karkat, Terezi, Sollux, and Aradia.

Sollux's parents were coming home Sunday night. Meaning, Aradia only had two more nights of paradise before she was sent back to live with her stupid aunt, and probably have to explain where she'd been all week. That is, if her Aunt had even noticed her absence. She wanted to tell him that she was ready to . . . But no, no not yet. Not at school.

Terezi was regretting her bold attempt to ask Karkat Vantas on a date more and more with every passing second. She had refrained from telling the Strider-Clan (Roxy and Rose included) for fear of them making a huge spectacle out of it. Plus, Dave and his brother had been crashing and John Egbert's house, which was apparently very crowded as of late. John and his sister Jane, in addition to Jade whose parents were away, and Jake, who had moved in the second he realized he hated his college roommate. She didn't need to add extra stress on to that situation.

She had already picked out a movie for them to see and everything. The theatre was doing a special re-run weekend of all the old detective movies from the '50s. She wasn't exactly sure what movie would be playing at the time they arrived at the theatre, but she was sure there was bound to be _something._

Karkat was feeling a similar kind of anxiety. He had never been on a date before-much less a date with a _blind_ girl! What if she walked into something and got hurt? Or what if she got lost? Or worst of all . . . what if she decided she didn't like him that much?

And then . . . there was Sollux. He had two days to fix the giant mess he made of the house, delete the evidence of his girlfriend ever staying there, make sure Aradia's mental state stayed in the same some-what improving form it had been in since the honey-incident, and somehow manage to get her into bed with him all before his parents got home. God, being a teenager was hard sometimes.

"What's with all the sad motherfuckin faces?" Gamzee asked, snapping them all out of it.

"Yeah," Egbert agreed. Since Terezi had started hanging around with Karkat, so had Dave, and therefore so had John. It was getting kind of crowded at their table. "You all seem really out of it. Is everything alright?"

"Fine," the four muttered in unison.

Dave glanced down at his watch. "Almost time to get to class. Where the hell is that Ampora guy?"

"Probably stalking Feferi," Sollux told him honestly. "That's what he spends at least 99% of his time doing."

John cringed. "Creepy. Do you mean the Feferi on the swim team?"

Dave glared at him. "Egbert I really fucking doubt there's more than one 'Feferi' at this school. I'd go as far as to say there's probably not another 'Feferi' anywhere ever."

John raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, sorry Mr. Snappy-pants."

"We've talked about the lame nicknames," Dave said, almost as if that were an apology. "Don't turn into your cousin on me, please. The universe literally cannot handle another Jake English. It would implode upon itself."

"Oh that reminds me!" Aradia exclaimed. "Did you guys hear that biology was canceled for today?"

Since all of them were juniors, and therefore _taking_ biology, the conversation became about a million times more interesting.

"Really?" Karkat asked, getting a little excited. He hated biology. "Why?"

"Well you know how it's dissection week?" Everyone nodded. "Well, someone was tampering with the frogs or something last night, because when Mrs. Pots came in this morning to get them ready for first period, they had all exploded!"

Terezi stuck her tongue out. "Ew!"

"Yeah from what we saw, it was pretty gross," Sollux agreed. "AA's locker is right by the lab, so we got front row seats to the whole spectacle. A bunch of the equipment was covered in frog guts because whoever did it left the cages open. Dead frogs-_everywhere._"

"So what are we supposed to do during the period we _would_ have biology?" John asked.

Sollux shrugged. "Do whatever, I guess. I have it during lunch so I was just gonna leave for the hour and a half and then come back."

Aradia's eyes lit up. "You mean we'd go back to your house?"

"Sure," Sollux said. "We could just hang out or something."

_Yes, yes perfect!_ Aradia thought. That would be her chance-a single window of opportunity. And she would take it.

"I have it last period with my sister," Karkat admitted. He hated letting people know that his _younger _sister was in the same level science class as him. "We'll probably just leave early."

"Gotta get ready for a hot date?" Terezi teased, trying to break the awkward tension she could feel forming between them. They hadn't spoken at all since yesterday.

Karkat merely shrugged. "I don't know; she doesn't really seem to care all that much about appearances."

He was smiling, she could tell by his voice. That was a good sign.

* * *

Terezi had bio first, along with Dave, so together they walked out to his car.

Once they were alone, he nudged her with his shoulder. "So, what's the deal with you and Vantas?"

Terezi silently cursed. "What do you mean?"

"You guys have been all over each other since the beginning of week, and now suddenly it's like he's got the plague," Dave said. "You wouldn't even meet his eyes. Did you get in an argument or something?"

Could she really lie to his face like this? Dave had been friends with Terezi since . . . well, forever. "No, it's nothing. I'll tell you about it another time."

He stared at her skeptically through his shades. "Y'sure?"

"Yeah. Let's go before they catch us leaving school without permission."

* * *

Aradia glanced at the clock. Twenty minutes until lunch . . . She could do it. She could do it. She _would_ do it.

"You okay?" Sollux asked, for probably the hundredth time that day.

"Super!" she insisted. "I'm just anxious to get out of here is all-I'm starving."

"Me too," he agreed. "I knew we shouldn't have skipped breakfast . . . At least we get the whole biology block off. We'll get to go home and chill out."

That wasn't exactly what Aradia had in mind, but she nodded anyway.

"I was thinking we could watch that History Channel thing," he suggested. "It's been in the DVR all week. I know you wanted to watch it before you'll have to . . ."_  
_

She nodded a little _too _enthusiastically. "Yes! Good idea, we can do that."

Sollux's eyes narrowed under his glasses. "You're being weird. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Aradia glanced up. Their teacher was turned around, writing notes no one was paying attention to on the board and muttering quietly. She took the opportunity to lean across the gap between her and Sollux's desks and give him a quick peck on the lips. "Everything's fine," she promised, "I've just got a surprise for you is all."

* * *

"Terezi that looks wonderful!"

"Thank you," she replied, smiling broadly. Karkat sighed. How was it that a blind girl could kick his ass and bowling _and_ painting? Those were two things that he had previously been _certain_ required vision.

He looked down at his own painting. _God, this is pathetic,_ he thought. There wasn't much to it other than a few gray lines that sort of mushed together in the middle. He had lied and told the teacher it was abstract but, really, he had just been sloppily letting the brush drift across the canvas.

Terezi's on the other hand, really _did_ look like a piece of art. She had stayed true to her promise of using red and teal paint; the colors swirled in and out of each other, forming a wavy looking backdrop that looked amazing. Karkat remembered what she had said about the meaning of the colors, and how it represented him and her. He tried not to read to much into the fact that her having the brush strokes mix and blend could be interpreted many different ways.

He'd been spending too much time with Eridan.

"So, uh . . . I was thinking, about tonight, maybe I could pick you up a little early and we could get pizza or something," he said, trying not to trip over his words and failing miserably. Why was he so nervous?! It was just Terezi!

She grinned. "Sure! There's a great pizza place down the street from the theatre. Just come and get me a little earlier and it should be fine."

"Okay . . . alright good, yeah. So are you gonna tell me what we're going to see?"

She shook her head defiantly. "Don't ruin the surprise!"

* * *

Dave stared at John and Jade from across the room. They were whispering to each other; probably about him. God, all they ever did was worry. Why couldn't they just be concerned with their own problems for a damn second? Jade's parents were practically MIA and John and his dad had been fighting recently-it wasn't like they didn't have their own crap to deal with. Sometimes they could just be _too_ good of friends.

"So," Rose said loudly, noticing her brother's stare. "We're hanging out with Roxy after school?"

Dave nodded. "I guess so. Man, I am _not_ looking forward to those stupid soggy fries."

"Remember last time we went their while Roxy was at work?"

"You mean when we were eating breakfast?" Dave grinned a little. "That guy grabbed at her ass and Dirk almost beat the shit out of him. That was great."

Rose scowled. "That man was a pig. I worry about her sometimes, at that place all alone all day."

"Things will be different when we're out of this place," Dave assured her. "We'll skip town and live in some too-small apartment building living off bad Chinese food and tap water."

That had always been the plan. Once he and Rose were out of high school, the four of them would just leave. Ditch their troubles and start fresh.

Rose glanced over to John and Jade. Their eyebrows were creased and they were using a lot of hand motions, almost like they were about to start arguing. "What about them? And Terezi?"

"Nothing lasts forever, Rose."

She sighed. Maybe he had a point . . . But it was nice to pretend.

* * *

Sollux looked over at Aradia. Her knuckles were tight on the steering wheel, which made him nervous. She said she had a _surprise_ for him-what had he done now?

They pulled into his driveway and got out of the car. After fumbling with his eyes for about a minute, Sollux let them into the living room. Aradia slammed the door behind her, looking a little wild.

"Aradia are you-"

"We're gonna have sex," she announced, _loudly. _

_"What?!"_

Blushing she added, "I mean, if you want to. I just . . . sorry I've been holding that in all day. But I'm serious, let's fuck."

Sollux could feel the grin creeping across his face, and was vaguely aware that he was probably coming across as weird and eager, but he also didn't really care. He was about to have sex for the first time! "Hell yes." _  
_

They raced up to his bedroom, pulling their clothes off and looking incredibly undignified. They didn't even bother closing the door to his room behind them.

* * *

"It's really . . . _peaceful,_" Terezi observed.

"Yeah well, without Captor, no one really has anyone to argue with," Karkat told her. "It's so boring."

"You could argue with me, Kar!" Eridan offered. Karkat shot him a look that said, _don't even go there. _

"I think we all need a nice group hug," Gamzee suggested. "Maybe some make outs."

Terezi actually cringed. "Ignore him," Karkat whispered to her.

Dave looked down at his watch. "You know. . . lunch is almost over. If they don't sneak back into the cafeteria before the start of next period, they're done for." He was of course, referring to Aradia and Sollux.

Since it was _technically_ against the law to just leave school, there was some serious sneaking around when it came to ditching classes. If you got caught leaving or entering the building after the first bell, you were in some serious shit.

"I texted him fifteen minutes ago," Karkat said. "I never got a reply."

Texting was _also_ against school rules.

John sat up straight in his seat, squinting across the cafeteria. "Is that . . . them?"

Karkat turned around. Sure enough, climbing through one of the windows in the lunch lady's blind spot, was Sollux Captor and Aradia Megido. Once they were in, they quickly blending into the crowd of kids getting up to throw out trash and made their way towards their friends.

"Told you we'd make it," Sollux said, sliding in next to Karkat. Aradia sat across from him, between Dave and John.

"Your hair is a mess," Dave stated with a sly grin. "And your fly is down. You know if I didn't know any better I'd say that-"

"Don't." Aradia threatened, glaring at him. Dave raised his hands in surrender-didn't have to tell him twice. Her expression softened as she spoke to the rest of the group, "we were just in a rush is all! Lost track of time and almost didn't make it."

The bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Aradia, Sollux, and Terezi all had class in the same direction, so they left together.

"So did you two really . . .?" Terezi whispered to Aradia. Sollux was preoccupied with his PDA and everyone else had gone the other way.

Aradia grinned and cupped her hands around Terezi's ear. After a moment, Terezi pulled away, eyes wide, and shouted, "TWO?!"

Sollux looked up from his PDA, blushing violently. "AA-!"

She interrupted him with a kiss. "Shh, don't spoil it!"

* * *

Dave stared down at the menu for the hundredth time. Roxy was standing over him, impatiently tapping her pen against her notepad.

"Sometime today Mini Strider."

"I'm not really hungry," he admitted. "Maybe later."

Roxy threw her hands in the air and stalked off. Dave had just wasted a good ten minutes of her time for nothing.

"She's always much more high-strung at work, don't take it personally," Rose assured him. She hadn't ordered anything either, other than a chai latte.

"I just wish he'd leave already," Dave admitted, obviously referring to their father.

Rose straightened out. She wasn't used to him opening up like that. "He will, eventually."

"You don't get it," he said, shaking his head. "Mom doesn't . . . _you know. _I'm just so sick of the way he treats us. I'm tired of being afr-I'm tired of having to hide out at Egbert's."

_Nice save,_ Rose thought sarcastically. "You're always welcomed to stay with us. Mom's too wasted to notice either way."

Dave looked down. "It'd be too weird."

The bell rang above the front door, alerting everyone that someone had just come in. A few moments later, Dirk was pulling a chair up to the head of Dave and Rose's booth. He straddled it backwards, which Dave found kind of annoying. He could have totally fit in the booth with them.

"Ready to go, dude?" he asked.

Dave nodded. "I've been ready for the past hour."

"Could you drop me off?" Rose asked. "Roxy doesn't get off for another two hours and I really don't feel like waiting."

Dirk nodded, and together the three of them abandoned the table. Dirk walked over to Roxy, whispered something in her ear, and then signaled for his younger siblings to follow him out. Dave rolled his eyes. The older brother and sister had always had some sort of bullshit mutual understanding that because both of them were older, they had to 'parent' him and Rose. They still tried to shield them from things. Dave wanted to scream that he was old enough to understand the real world now, and he was tired of being babied. He was tired of a lot of things.

After they dropped Rose off, Dirk pulled the car over in an empty parking lot down the street. That's how Dave knew he was in trouble-Dirk always waited until they were alone to scold him for stuff (also annoying).

"You need to calm down," Dirk said. "You're gonna scare everyone."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Dave asked. "I _am_calm!"

Dirk shook his head. "This always happens. Whenever Dad's back you just get angry and angsty and you take your frustrations out on everyone! The littlest things set you off and it's not healthy."

Dave huffed and crossed his arms. "I don't need this."

"Alright Mr. Teenager, don't listen to me. All I'm saying is that you need to-"

"All I'm saying is that you aren't my dad," Dave snapped. _Oh shit . . ._

Dirk turned back towards the wheel. His voice was flat. "I never said I was."

As he started to drive again, Dave really felt the guilt setting in. Why the hell would he say that?! Dirk was just trying to help him! He knew he had hurt his brother's feelings, which sucked. It's not like Dirk acted that way on purpose . . . _Shit_ he had done it now. Should he apologize?

"I was thinking pizza tonight," Dirk said dryly. "At that place near the movie theatre. The Egberts are going to visit their grandmother."

Dave nodded. "Sure. That'd be cool."

Or he could just pretend nothing happened.

* * *

Karkat pulled up in front of Terezi's house, praying he hadn't forgotten anything important; like deodorant or pants. He was about to get out of the car when he saw the front door open.

"Stay there!" Terezi mouthed. She shut the door slowly behind her, then ran as fast as she could without tripping over anything and slid into the passenger's seat. "Floor it!"

Karkat did as told, stopping at the end of her street. "What was that about?"

"My parents don't exactly know that I'm going on a date tonight," she said. _ Oh god she called it the D-word. _"I don't usually tell them this sort of thing. Don't-ask-don't-tell, right?"

She was fixing her hair as she spoke, tucking it back and pulling it down past her shoulders. Karkat couldn't help but notice she looked really cute, and wondered how she had managed to put together such a nice outfit without any assistance.

"So where's this pizza place?" he asked.

"Just drive like you'd be going to the movies," she told him. "It's the street right before."

So she could bowl, paint, _and_ give directions. What the hell couldn't this girl do?

When they got to the pizza parlor, Karkat remembered his manners. He pulled out her chair for her and everything. He started to read her the menu too, but she told him she already knew what to order. When the waiter came around she told him they'd have a small peppers and feta cheese with a side of fries.

"Peppers and _feta?" _Karkat asked, disgusted.

"Not as bad as it sounds," she promised. "It sort of tastes like pizza-lasagna, actually."

"How'd you know what to order?"

She began playing with her hair. "I used to come here a lot with my parents before, um . . . Well, back when I could see."

_Don't tell him, _she thought. _Not yet. That's not a first-date conversation. _

"Oh . . ." Karkat silently cursed himself. He always managed to find exactly the _wrong _thing to say. "So it's, uh . . . a nice night out."

Terezi laughed. "You're so awkward sometimes. It's okay! I'm blind! I'm blind! I'll climb up on the roof and yell it if you want. I'm not sensitive about it or anything-it's who I am."

He smiled a little. "I like that you're so cool with it."

She shrugged. "What other way is there to be?

* * *

Aradia put her head against Sollux's shoulder and sighed happily. She actually felt content.

"I'll admit it," he said. "This is pretty interesting."

They had put on the History Channel special she'd recorded and snuggled up under a nice thick blanket. "I told you-history is great!"

"Maybe I'll give up my aspirations to become a video game designer and go to Egypt with you," he said. "We could dig up some mummies and Indiana Jones the shit out of that place."

Aradia giggled. "That'd be nice, but a lot of archaeology is just paper work and boring stuff."

"That sucks," he said. "It's so much cooler on TV."

She put her hand over his mouth. "Shh! They're about to talk about King Tut."

He licked the inside of her hand, causing her to shriek playfully and pull it back. "You're gross!"

Sollux kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"I can't believe it," Dirk muttered. He and Dave had just been sitting down about to enjoy a nice large BBQ chicken pizza when they had walked in.

"I can," Dave admitted. He knew something was up with them. Terezi was an awful liar about that sort of thing. Though to be fair, she didn't have much practice.

"Do you think they know we're here?"

"Doubt it. She's blind and he's an idiot."

Dirk smirked. "More like he's only got eyes for her."

"Dude." Dave glared at him. "That was dry as hell."

Dirk shrugged and took a bite of his pizza. "Least they're having fun."

He was right. It didn't take more than a couple minutes for Karkat and Terezi to start joking around and laughing. Every now and then, Dave would catch one of them blushing. It was weird, watching one of his best friends go out on a date without them _knowing_ that he was watching. To be honest, he felt sort of like a creep. But it had just been a coincidence after all. He could pretend it never happened and let her have fun while also keeping a watchful eye on Vantas. The situation was ideal.

"I guess this means I owe Roxy ten bucks," Dirk said. "She gave it less than two weeks, I said it'd be at least three."

"Before they went on a date?"

Dirk nodded. "I really should stop betting against Roxy when it comes to all this romantic crap."


End file.
